Four former High Court judges in two separate cases were yesterday handed lengthy prison sentences by the High Court for taking bribes.
The court gave 20 year prison terms to former High Court judge Tsai Kuang-chih (蔡光治), along with a NT$3.5 million (US$110,000) fine; 18 years to former High Court judge Chen Jung-ho (陳榮和), with a NT$3 million fine; 11 years and six months to former High Court judge Lee Chun-ti (李春地), with a NT$1 million fine and 10 years; and six months to former High Court judge Fang A-sheng (房阿生), also with a NT$1 million fine.
Former Banciao prosecutor Chiu Mao-jung (邱茂榮), meanwhile, was sentenced to six years imprisonment, with a fine of NT$2.7 million.
The defendants have the option of appealing the ruling through the Supreme Court.
One case stems from the 2004 indictment of former Chinese Nationalist Party (KMT) legislator Ho Chih-hui (何智輝) on charges of receiving massive kickbacks during the development phase of the Tongluo expansion of the Hsinchu Science Park in Miaoli County.
He was convicted in 2006 and sentenced to 19 years in prison, a verdict that he appealed to the High Court. Chen, Lee and Tsai heard his appeal and in May last year, Chen and Lee found Ho not guilty.
Yesterday’s ruling said Ho gave then-Banciao prosecutor Chiu a NT$3.5 million bribe, of which NT$2 million was given to Lee while Chiu pocketed the rest.
Ho also gave Tsai’s girlfriend NT$2 million in cash, of which Tsai and she kept NT$500,000, with Tsai delivering NT$1.5 million to Chen at his High Court office, the ruling said.
Ho fled his home before investigators stormed his Miaoli County residence in August, 2010.
In the second case, Fang took bribes from Chang Ping-lung (張炳龍), a former judge at the High Court’s Hualien branch, to help clear Chang in a 2005 corruption trial, the ruling said.
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