The Supreme Court yesterday upheld a three-and-a-half-year jail sentence for Non-Partisan Solidarity Union Legislator Yen Ching-piao (顏清標) for spending millions of dollars of taxpayers’ money at hostess bars and KTV lounges.
Yen, who was sentenced for misusing public funds during his term as Taichung County Council speaker, is expected to start serving his prison sentence soon and will lose his seat in the legislature. His civil rights have been suspended for three years.
Independent Greater Taichung Council Speaker Chang Ching-tang (張清堂), who was Yen’s vice speaker in the Taichung County Council at the time, was sentenced to three-and-a-half years in prison and had his civil rights suspended for three years.
Tsai Wen-hsiung (蔡文雄), Yen’s former secretary, received six-and-a-half years and had his civil rights suspended for four years.
Although Yen and Chang are independent politicians, they are deemed close to the Chinese Nationalist Party (KMT) and their imprisonment could have an impact on Greater Taichung politics. Two by-elections are to be held to fill Yen’s legislative seat and Chang’s council speakership.
The Taiwan High Court ruled that the trio were guilty in September last year.
The Supreme Court said Yen and Chang had returned NT$20.55 million (US$687,000) in misused public funds to state coffers. As a result, the Taiwan High Court handed out reduced sentences.
The court found Yen, Chang and Tsai guilty of spending council funds between 1998 and 2000 to cover their expenditures at hostess bars and KTV lounges in then-Taichung City. According to the ruling, the trio used more than NT$20 million of council money and still owe various hostess bars about NT$10 million.
Yen, chairman of Chenlan Temple, spent three-and-a-half years in Green Island’s maximum-security prison after a crackdown on organized crime in 1986. His participation in local politics began soon after he was released.
Speaking of the decision, Deputy Minister of the Interior Chien Tai-lang (簡太郎) told a press conference that the sentence against Yen would take effect immediately and he would be stripped of his status as a lawmaker when the Ministry of the Interior receives the written sentence from the court.
“When we receive the written sentence, we will refer it to the Presidential Office, and the president, who would then officially announce the removal of Yen from the post of legislator,” Chien said. “At the same time, we will also inform the Central Election Commission to hold a by-election to fill the post that will be left open by Yen in three months.”
Chien said that while the deprivation of civil rights takes effect immediately, the three-year suspension period would start only after he finishes serving the jail term.
In a press statement, Yen said he had consulted Taipei County Council’s accounting director and chief secretary on how to handle the money and had no intention of committing corruption.
He said he respects the rule of law, but would continue to seek legal means to clear himself.
The Chinese military has built landing bridge ships designed to expand its amphibious options for a potential assault on Taiwan, but their combat effectiveness is limited due to their high vulnerability, a defense expert said in an analysis published on Monday. Shen Ming-shih (沈明室), a research fellow at the Institute for National Defense and Security Research, said that the deployment of such vessels as part of the Chinese People’s Liberation Army (PLA) Navy’s East Sea Fleet signals a strong focus on Taiwan. However, the ships are highly vulnerable to precision strikes, which means they could be destroyed before they achieve their intended
The first two F-16V Bock 70 jets purchased from the US are expected to arrive in Taiwan around Double Ten National Day, which is on Oct. 10, a military source said yesterday. Of the 66 F-16V Block 70 jets purchased from the US, the first completed production in March, the source said, adding that since then three jets have been produced per month. Although there were reports of engine defects, the issue has been resolved, they said. After the jets arrive in Taiwan, they must first pass testing by the air force before they would officially become Taiwan’s property, they said. The air force
GLOBAL: Although Matsu has limited capacity for large numbers of domestic tourists, it would be a great high-end destination for international travelers, an official said Lienchiang County’s (Matsu) unique landscape and Cold War history give it great potential to be marketed as a destination for international travelers, Tourism Administration Director General Chen Yu-hsiu (陳玉秀) said at the weekend. Tourism officials traveled to the outlying island for the Matsu Biennial, an art festival that started on Friday to celebrate Matsu’s culture, history and landscape. Travelers to Matsu, which lies about 190km northwest of Taipei, must fly or take the state-run New Taima passenger ship. However, flights are often canceled during fog season from April to June. Chen spoke about her vision to promote Matsu as a tourist attraction in
PAWSITIVE IMPACT: A shop owner said that while he adopted cats to take care of rodents, they have also attracted younger visitors who also buy his dried goods In Taipei’s Dadaocheng (大稻埕), cats lounging in shops along Dihua Street do more than nap amid the scent of dried seafood. Many have become beloved fixtures who double as photography models, attracting visitors and helping boost sales in one of the capital’s most historic quarters. A recent photo contest featuring more than a dozen shop cats drew more than 2,200 submissions, turning everyday cat-spotting into a friendly competition that attracted amateur and professional photographers. “It’s rare to see cats standing, so when it suddenly did, it felt like a lucky cat,” said Sabrina Hsu (徐淳蔚), who won the NT$10,000 top prize in
RSS