Convicted DPP legislator Chou Po-lun appeals corruption charges

DPP legislator Chou Po-lun (周伯倫) has appealed a corruption conviction over the Ronghsing Park (榮星花園) development scandal, according to reports in the Chinese-language media yesterday. Chou lodged the appeal to the Supreme Court on Aug. 25, according to the reports.

The High Court found Chou and former Taipei City Councilor Chen Chun-yuan (陳俊源) guilty of corruption on Aug. 3.

Chou was sentenced to six years in prison, and Chen received five years.

Chou declared after the sentence that he would forego his right to appeal, claiming the High Court had handed down an erroneous judgment.

"The Supreme Court remanded this case back to the High Court for reconsideration twice, because they had brought the wrong charges against me," Chou said. "I think they just want to send someone to jail so they can tell the public that they caught the bad guy in the Ronghsing case."

The Ronghsing scandal was first exposed in 1988 by Chen Sheng-hung (陳勝宏), then a Taipei City councilor.

Seven city councilors and six city government officials were subsequently indicted on char-ges of bribery.

They were accused of receiving bribes from Chiaofu Construction Corporation (僑福建設), which had invested in the Ronghsing Park development project.

The High Court convicted Chou of receiving NT$16 million from Chiaofu's owner, Huang Chou-hsuan (黃週旋), in return for his support for the Ronghsing development project during interpellation sessions in the city council.

Although Chou admitted he had had business dealings with Huang, he insisted the NT$16 million he received was for a different contract.

According to the Constitution, the judiciary has the right to arrest legislators only when the legislature is in recess.