The Taiwan High Court yesterday said hearings for three charges against former president Chen Shui-bian (陳水扁) and his wife, Wu Shu-jen (吳淑珍), would begin on Jan. 7, starting with charges of embezzlement of state-affairs funds.
The three cases — bribery related to the construction of the Nangang Exhibition Hall, money-laundering related to the couple’s movement of money overseas and the alleged embezzlement of state-affairs funds — are awaiting re-trails in the Taiwan High Court.
The High Court said that because of the complexity of these cases, they would he handled separately, with the alleged embezzlement of the state-affairs fund to be tackled first.
The hearings will be held every Friday beginning on Jan. 7.
Last month, the Supreme Court handed down two final verdicts against the couple.
The first involved charges that Chen and Wu accepted bribes of as much as NT$300 million (US$10 million) in return for helping to facilitate a land deal in Taoyuan County between the government and a property development company.
The other case involved charges that the couple had accepted a bribe of NT$10 million from former Taipei Financial Center Corp chairwoman Diana Chen (陳敏薰) in exchange for helping her secure an appointment at a securities firm.
The High Court earlier this month separately announced that Chen and Wu would have to serve 17-and-a-half years in prison in connection with the two final verdicts, and fined them each NT$154 million.
Chen has begun serving his prison term at Taipei Prison, while Wu is soon expected to start serving hers at Taichung Prison hospital.
The Taipei District Court last month found Chen and Wu not guilty on charges of taking NT$600 million to facilitate bank mergers. The Taipei District Court also cleared Chen of embezzling diplomatic funds in June.
Prosecutors have since appealed the no guilty decision and the two cases are pending in the High Court.
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