Former Yunlin county commissioner Chang Jung-wei (
"The MOJ has approved Chang's parole application. However, the MOJ still needs to seek the opinions of judges for the Taiwan High Court's Tainan branch, who have been hearing a suit about Chang's involvement in the Linnei Township (林內鄉) incinerator construction scandal," Vice Minister of Justice Wang Tian-sheng (王添盛) said.
"If the judges think releasing Chang would not affect the trial and agree to free him, Chang will be released soon," Wang added.
Chang's release has been a closely-watched issue in Yunlin County political circles.
According to the law regulating parole, Chang was qualified to be released from jail starting on Nov. 1, but the MOJ avoided dealing with the sensitive issue before the Dec. 3 local government elections in a bid not to complicate the election campaigns.
Chang, who is now independent, used to be a pan-green supporter but decided to endorse the pan-blue camp during last year's presidential election.
The Chinese Nationalist Party (KMT) commissioner candidate Hsu Shu-po (
Hsu lost the election to the Democratic Progressive Party (DPP) candidate Su Chih-fen (蘇治芬).
The Supreme Court in March handed down the final verdict for Chang, sentencing him to a year in jail for his involvement in the 1994 Yunlin County Council speakership election bribery case.
The verdict said that Chang and then-councilor Chen Kuo-yi (
Chen was seeking the vice-speaker post.
On Feb. 8, 1994, a 34-member group left on a 16-day trip to Indonesia and Singapore.
Chang was also arrested last December for his involvement in the Linnei Township incinerator construction scandal.
The Yunlin District Court in October sentenced him to 14 years for accepting a huge bribe in connection with the project.
Chang appealed the sentence to the Taiwan High Court's Tainan branch.
The vice minister said the period he has already served since being detained in December last year can be deducted from his 12-month sentence.
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