Legal experts said yesterday the outlook was bleak for former president Chen Shui-bian (陳水扁) and his co-defendants in the former first family's money laundering and corruption trial.
A judge with experience presiding over corruption cases said the chances of Chen receiving a heavy sentence, if convicted, was quite high given the large amount of money he and his wife, Wu Shu-jen (吳淑珍), allegedly pocketed.
Other public servants accused of corruption, if convicted, could also receive heavy sentences because precedent rulings showed that even those convicted of embezzling small amounts of money received sentences of at least eight years, the judge said, speaking on condition of anonymity.
This would include the two former presidential aides, former Presidential Office director Lin Teh-hsun (林德訓) and former deputy secretary-general Ma Yung-cheng (馬永成), who have been accused of inappropriately reimbursing the former first family for personal expenses taken out of the president's “state affairs fund.”
Former Hsinchu Science Park chief James Lee (李界木), who is also a co-defendant in Chen's trial and has been charged with taking kickbacks from a government land deal in Longtan (龍潭), Taoyuan County, is also on the list of former civil service employees who may receive heavy sentences.
As for the former president's detention, Chen Shui-bian's court-appointed attorney, Tseng Te-rong (曾德榮), said if the detention hearing is held by the district court, it is doubtful that Chen would be released.
Tsai Shou-hsun (蔡守訓), the district court judge presiding over Chen's trial, has repeatedly ruled to keep Chen detained.
Tsai replaced Chou Chan-chun (周占春) as judge in December. Chou had twice ruled against detaining Chen. The switching of judges was controversial, with some claiming it was politically motivated and violated judicial procedures.
The former president has been incarcerated at the Taipei Detention Center since Dec. 30 on charges of embezzling public funds, money laundering, accepting bribes on a land deal, influence peddling and forgery.
The district court will announce its verdict on Friday.
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Yangmingshan National Park authorities yesterday urged visitors to respect public spaces and obey the law after a couple was caught on a camera livestream having sex at the park’s Qingtiangang (擎天崗) earlier in the day. The Shilin Police Precinct in Taipei said it has identified a suspect and his vehicle registration number, and would summon him for questioning. The case would be handled in accordance with public indecency charges, it added. The couple entered the park at about 11pm on Thursday and began fooling around by 1am yesterday, the police said, adding that the two were unaware of the park’s all-day live
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