A judge at the Tainan branch of the High Court yesterday had his appeal against a conviction dismissed by the Taichung branch of the High Court.
The judge, Hu Ching-pin (
After criminal charges were lodged against him in 1996, Hu was transferred from Taichung to Tainan and suspended from office for three years by the Judicial Yuan. He was able to resume office last June, however, while still appealing his conviction.
His return to work sparked severe criticism from members of the Tainan bar and also from the non-governmental Judicial Reform Foundation (民間司法改革基金會), which lambasted the judicial authorities for allowing a convicted criminal to remain a judge.
According to the foundation, at least 15 judges were either convicted of crimes or disciplined for misconduct between 1995 and 2000, but few of them were permanently removed from their positions as judges.
The court found that between March and July 1995, Hu had invested NT$4 million in a so-called "underground bank," which was notorious for its unreasonably high interest rates and use of violence in collecting debts.
During the period, Hu was found to have gained a total of NT$1.2 million from the illicit investment, an average profit of NT$240,000 a month.
In the decision by a three-member panel yesterday, the judge was found guilty of investing in the illegal financial institution and sentenced to one year and three months in prison. But Hu could still appeal his conviction to the Supreme Court.
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