Prosecutors from the Taiwan High Court Prosecutors’ Office Special Investigation Panel (SIP) yesterday appealed in the Supreme Court the High Court verdict reducing the length of the sentences given to former president Chen Shui-bian (陳水扁) and former first lady Wu Shu-jen (吳淑珍).
“The verdict does not reflect the kind of punishment the defendants should be receiving,” the 50-page appeal said, adding that the judges gave conflicting reasons in their decision and applied the wrong articles of the law to back their judgment.
The prosecutors said they had been working on the appeal since they received a copy of the Taiwan High Court’s verdict on June 15, four days after it was handed down.
In the verdict, Chen’s life sentence was reduced to 20 years. In September last year, the Taipei District Court found the former president guilty of embezzling state funds, committing forgery and laundering some of the money through Swiss bank accounts.
The High Court’s ruling reduced the NT$200 million (US$6.17 million) fine imposed on Chen by the Taipei District Court to NT$170 million, while commuting a lifetime suspension of his civil rights to 10 years. The High Court said new findings showed the amount embezzled was less than found by a lower court.
The High Court also reduced Wu’s life sentence to 20 years and cut her fine from NT$300 million to NT$200 million.
Six of the other eight defendants, including Chen’s son Chen Chih-chung (陳致中) and daughter-in-law Huang Jui-ching (黃睿靚), also had their sentences reduced.
Allegations of corruption and abuse of power against Chen, his family and members of his entourage were initiated by prosecutors after he lost presidential immunity when he left office in 2008.
During his trial, prosecutors accused Chen and his wife of accepting bribes to facilitate property deals, laundering money overseas and embezzling millions from a special presidential fund.
They said NT$700 million was remitted to accounts in Singapore and the Cayman Islands and later moved to Swiss bank accounts.
Chen was first detained on Nov. 12, 2008, and released on Dec. 13, after he was indicted. He was again detained on Dec. 30 and has remained in detention ever since.
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