Four Taiwan High Court judges and a Banciao prosecutor came under investigation yesterday on suspicion of taking bribes related to their hearing of a corruption case involving former Chinese Nationalist Party (KMT) legislator Ho Chih-hui (何智輝).
The Supreme Prosecutors’ Office Special Investigation Panel (SIP) launched the investigation yesterday morning.
SIP spokesman Chen Hung-ta (陳宏達) told a press conference that eight prosecutors led about 100 agents from the Ministry of Justice’s Investigation Bureau in a raid on 34 locations at 5:30am, including the four judges’ offices in the Taiwan High Court and their residences, as well as the prosecutor’s office in the Banciao District Prosecutors’ Office and his residence.
Three of the four judges and the prosecutor were summoned for questioning, with 13 people interviewed as witnesses.
At press time, the witnesses were still being questioned. Chen said Ho would be questioned soon. Chen refused to reveal the names of the four judges and the prosecutor.
However, judicial sources and CNA said they were judges Lee Chun-ti (李春地), Chen Jung-ho (陳榮和), Tsai Kuang-chih (蔡光治) and a judge surnamed Lin, as well as Banciao prosecutor Chiu Mao-jung (邱茂榮).
Sources said that as a former Miaoli prosecutor, Chiu was acquainted with Ho.
Ho was indicted in 2000 for corruption, theft and breach of trust. In 1997, then-Miaoli County commissioner Ho took advantage of his position to approve a construction project proposal by Chiuchun Development Co even though the company had failed to propose a complete environmental protection plan in Miaoli County.
Ho was found to have received a bribe of NT$320 million (US$10 million) from the company and sentenced to 19 years in prison.
However, Ho appealed the case with the Supreme Court and the Taiwan High Court in May found him not guilty.
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