The Taiwan High Court sentenced independent legislator Wu Tzer-yuan (
The court found that Wu had accepted more than NT$6 million in bribes while he served as the director of the Taiwan Provincial Planning and Developing Department between 1988 and 1992.
The court said Wu, former legislator Lee Tsung-cheng (
The court said Wu took the money in exchange for helping Kuo-feng win the pumping station contract, which was designed to resolve flooding problems in Panchiao.
The court gave Wu 15 years, blasting him for caring nothing about the lives and properties of hundreds of thousands of Panchiao residents when making the kickback deal.
Wu, who was ordered detained during a trial by the Panchiao District Court in 1996, was granted bail for medical reasons by the High Court in May 1998.
Seven months after his release, the former KMT politician was elected to the legislature -- despite his membership being canceled by the party, which disapproved of his campaign.
During the trial, Wu answered almost every court summons, though he did not attend yesterday's verdict announcement.
Both Wu and prosecutors could appeal yesterday's decision.
Wu's status as a legislator will not be affected until his case is affirmed by the Supreme Court.
As an enormously powerful politician in the southern county of Pingtung, Wu earned widespread attention for his involvement in the case. Previous court rulings have swung wildly between his favor and that of the prosecutors.
In 1996, the Panchiao District Court found Wu guilty and sentenced him to life in prison for taking bribes of more than NT$26 million. Wu, who was serving as a Pingtung county commissioner at the time, was forced to resign from his post.
But in 1998, the High Court reversed the district court's ruling and reduced Wu's sentence to 15 years. The court also ruled that Wu had taken NT$6 million in bribes, not NT$26 million.
Then in October that same year, the Supreme Court returned the case to the High Court, saying the lower court had "deliberately applied laws favorable to Wu" in reducing his sentence.
In response to the Supreme Court's ruling, the High Court changed the charge against Wu to one that carries a possible prison term of life. But the length of the sentence remained 15 years.
Apart from his sentence, Wu's medical parole has also been attacked in light of his run for the legislature. Some critics have called for the lawmaker to be put back in detention.
The Judicial Reform Foundation, an organization that has been especially critical of Wu's parole, recently issued a statement to the High Court judges on the case. The foundation said that the lawmaker appears to be in good health and should therefore be incarcerated again.
But the High Court declined to detain Wu, saying the reasons to hold him were no longer valid. There was no reason to believe Wu would destroy evidence in the case or suborn perjury, the court said.
The court also noted that Wu had attended almost every hearing in the trial and so it did not judge him to be a flight risk.
NEXT GENERATION: The four plants in the Central Taiwan Science Park, designated Fab 25, would consist of four 1.4-nanometer wafer manufacturing plants, TSMC said Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Co (TSMC, 台積電) plans to begin construction of four new plants later this year, with the aim to officially launch production of 2-nanometer semiconductor wafers by late 2028, Central Taiwan Science Park Bureau director-general Hsu Maw-shin (許茂新) said. Hsu made the announcement at an event on Friday evening celebrating the Central Taiwan Science Park’s 22nd anniversary. The second phase of the park’s expansion would commence with the initial construction of water detention ponds and other structures aimed at soil and water conservation, Hsu said. TSMC has officially leased the land, with the Central Taiwan Science Park having handed over the
AUKUS: The Australian Ambassador to the US said his country is working with the Pentagon and he is confident that submarine issues will be resolved Australian Ambassador to the US Kevin Rudd on Friday said that if Taiwan were to fall to China’s occupation, it would unleash China’s military capacities and capabilities more broadly. He also said his country is working with the Pentagon on the US Department of Defense’s review of the AUKUS submarine project and is confident that all issues raised will be resolved. Rudd, who served as Australian prime minister from 2007 to 2010 and for three months in 2013, made the remarks at the Aspen Security Forum in Colorado and stressed the longstanding US-Australia alliance and his close relationship with the US Undersecretary
‘WORLD WAR III’: Republican Representative Marjorie Taylor Greene said the aid would inflame tensions, but her amendment was rejected 421 votes against six The US House of Representatives on Friday passed the Department of Defense Appropriations Act for fiscal 2026, which includes US$500 million for Taiwan. The bill, which totals US$831.5 billion in discretionary spending, passed in a 221-209 vote. According to the bill, the funds for Taiwan would be administered by the US Defense Security Cooperation Agency and would remain available through Sept. 30, 2027, for the Taiwan Security Cooperation Initiative. The legislation authorizes the US Secretary of Defense, with the agreement of the US Secretary of State, to use the funds to assist Taiwan in procuring defense articles and services, and military training. Republican Representative
TAIWAN IS TAIWAN: US Representative Tom Tiffany said the amendment was not controversial, as ‘Taiwan is not — nor has it ever been — part of Communist China’ The US House of Representatives on Friday passed an amendment banning the US Department of Defense from creating, buying or displaying any map that shows Taiwan as part of the People’s Republic of China (PRC). The “Honest Maps” amendment was approved in a voice vote on Friday as part of the Department of Defense Appropriations Act for the 2026 fiscal year. The amendment prohibits using any funds from the act to create, buy or display maps that show Taiwan, Kinmen, Matsu, Penghu, Wuciou (烏坵), Green Island (綠島) or Orchid Island (Lanyu, 蘭嶼) as part of the PRC. The act includes US$831.5 billion in
RSS