Viewed by many as a high-flyer, DPP Legislator Chou Po-lun's (
The project surfaced in 1988 when then-Taipei City councilor Chen Sheng-hung (
TAIPEI TIMES FILE PHOTO
After the lawsuit dragged on for 15 years, Chou was finally found guilty of corruption for taking NT$16 million from the company.
The final verdict also suspends Chou's civil liberties for four years. The suspension of his liberties will not go into effect until after he completes his jail term. The move will strip Chou of the right to vote and to run for office.
Another former Taipei City councilor, Chen Chun-yuan (陳俊源), was sentenced to five years in jail in addition to having his civil rights revoked for three years and four months.
Several other councilors and city government officials also took part in the influence-peddling scheme that sought unsuccessfully to turn part of the park near the Sungshan Airport into a commercial-residential zone.
While 10 city government officials and five city councilors were eventually acquitted, Chou and Chen were the only two city councilors convicted.
Chou resigned as a lawmaker one day after the verdict. The Taipei District Prosecutors' Office banned him from leaving the country on that same day. Chou is expected to start serving his jail term next Sunday.
Chou, who has served as a legislator representing Taipei County since 1992, has closed down his legislative office and withdrawn from the media spotlight.
DPP legislative leader Ker Chien-ming (
"It's such a pity to lose someone who is such a witty and formidable fighter both in real life and in the legislature," Ker said.
Chou's conviction cuts the number of DPP lawmakers from 89 to 88. The total number of pan-green lawmakers stands at 102, while that of the blue camp stands at 110.
According to Ker, Chou was emotional on the night of the verdict.
"He felt sorry for himself. He said he had managed to remain a free man during KMT rule, but ironically was put behind bars after the DPP came to power," Ker said.
Chou's 85-year-old mother, who was unaware of her only son's fate, rushed to Taipei after learning of the news by watching TV.
"I still believe he's innocent," Ker quoted her as saying.
Former DPP chairman Shih Ming-teh (施明德), another friend who stayed with Chou on the night of the verdict, said that although he felt sorry for Chou, there is something to feel cheerful about.
"I bet it will be a good time for him to quit drinking once he's in there," Shih said.
Many of Chou's friends have volunteered to help since they learned of Chou's verdict.
DPP legislative whip Chen Chi-mai (
"That's something I can do for my friend," he said.
DPP Legislator Tsai Huang-lang (
"His family means a lot to him just like mine matters a lot to me," he said.
Outspoken and down-to-earth, the 49-year-old native of Taipei County has been viewed by many as a cunning politician whose bravado is an invaluable asset.
He is one of the few politicians who dares to stand up for his beliefs, although these sometimes clash with those of his party.
A member of the party's anti-nuclear wing, Chou came forward to attack the DPP-led government after the Executive Yuan decided in August 2001 not to hold a non-binding referendum on the construction of the Fourth Nuclear Power Plant during the year-end legislative elections.
In addition to asking then-premier Chang Chun-hsiung (張俊雄) and Cabinet Secretary-General Chiou I-jen (邱義仁) to apologize to the public, Chou requested the two resign to take the blame for the fiasco.
In December 2001, Chou came to the rescue of his fellow colleague, Lin Chung-mo (
Lin accused Sisy Chen of "screwing up" the political careers of two former DPP chairmen, Shih Ming-teh (
An increase in Taiwanese boats using China-made automatic identification systems (AIS) could confuse coast guards patrolling waters off Taiwan’s southwest coast and become a loophole in the national security system, sources familiar with the matter said yesterday. Taiwan ADIZ, a Facebook page created by enthusiasts who monitor Chinese military activities in airspace and waters off Taiwan’s southwest coast, on Saturday identified what seemed to be a Chinese cargo container ship near Penghu County. The Coast Guard Administration went to the location after receiving the tip and found that it was a Taiwanese yacht, which had a Chinese AIS installed. Similar instances had also
GOOD DIPLOMACY: The KMT has maintained close contact with representative offices in Taiwan and had extended an invitation to Russia as well, the KMT said The Chinese Nationalist Party (KMT) would “appropriately handle” the fallout from an invitation it had extended to Russia’s representative to Taipei to attend its international banquet last month, KMT Chairman Eric Chu (朱立倫) said yesterday. US and EU representatives in Taiwan boycotted the event, and only later agreed to attend after the KMT rescinded its invitation to the Russian representative. The KMT has maintained long-term close contact with all representative offices and embassies in Taiwan, and had extended the invitation as a practice of good diplomacy, Chu said. “Some EU countries have expressed their opinions of Russia, and the KMT respects that,” he
VIGILANCE: The military is paying close attention to actions that might damage peace and stability in the region, the deputy minister of national defense said The People’s Republic of China (PRC) might consider initiating a hack on Taiwanese networks on May 20, the day of the inauguration ceremony of president-elect William Lai (賴清德), sources familiar with cross-strait issues said. While US Secretary of State Anthony Blinken’s statement of the US expectation “that all sides will conduct themselves with restraint and prudence in the period ahead” would prevent military actions by China, Beijing could still try to sabotage Taiwan’s inauguration ceremony, the source said. China might gain access to the video screens outside of the Presidential Office Building and display embarrassing messages from Beijing, such as congratulating Lai
Four China Coast Guard ships briefly sailed through prohibited waters near Kinmen County, Taipei said, urging Beijing to stop actions that endanger navigation safety. The Chinese ships entered waters south of Kinmen, 5km from the Chinese city of Xiamen, at about 3:30pm on Monday, the Coast Guard Administration said in a statement later the same day. The ships “sailed out of our prohibited and restricted waters” about an hour later, the agency said, urging Beijing to immediately stop “behavior that endangers navigation safety.” Ministry of National Defense spokesman Sun Li-fang (孫立方) yesterday told reporters that Taiwan would boost support to the Coast Guard