Keelung Mayor Chang Tong-rong (張通榮) was sentenced to one year and eight months in prison by the Taiwan High Court yesterday on charges of influence peddling.
Chang, a Chinese Nationalist Party (KMT) member, had received the same sentence from the Keelung District Court, although the sentence was suspended for five years.
The High Court’s ruling withdrew Chang’s probation.
Photo: Lu Hsien-hsiu, Taipei Times
The ruling said Chang is able to appeal the ruling to the Supreme Court.
The Ministry of the Interior said that according to the law, if Chang is convicted by the Supreme Court and has to serve a jail term, he would be removed as mayor.
Chang was found guilty of using his position to persuade city police officers to ignore an alleged drunk-driving case, dating back to September 2012.
On the pretext of serving his constituents, Chang pressured officers at the Anle Precinct into releasing a woman surnamed Liao (廖), who had allegedly assaulted and injured a policewoman.
The ruling said Chang appeared at the police station and demanded that the woman be released, pounding a table and threatening to transfer those who dared disobey him.
He was recorded as shouting at police officers: “You are great. You are so great. I will have [National Police Agency] Director-General Wang [Cho-chiun (王卓鈞)] come here to give you rewards, and then ask Director-General Wang to transfer you outside Keelung,” the ruling said.
Liao was released.
The ruling said Chang did not show any remorse in the case, although his case had made headlines in the media and Chang has received much criticism.
When the court asked Chang whether he confessed to the charges against him, Chang replied: “I do not,” the ruling said.
It added that Chang insisted his action was to prevent a confrontation between a constituent and police officers, and he “never forced them to free the woman.”
FUKUOKA SITUATION: Japanese media reported that the pathogen is expected to be identified by the summer, while the CDC downplayed the idea that it was hMPV A “mysterious cold-like illness” reported in Japan’s Fukuoka Prefecture does not seem to be a new disease, but Japanese authorities have been asked about the situation, the Centers for Disease Control (CDC) said yesterday. The Fukuoka Prefectural Medical Association on Wednesday told a news conference that a “mystery cold” that has become a hot topic on social media is “highly likely to be caused by some kind of viral infection,” Japan’s KBC News reported. “Many people are experiencing symptoms starting with a sore throat, followed by a runny nose, phlegm and a severe cough,” KBC News reported, citing association officials. Health authorities are
Nvidia Corp CEO Jensen Huang (黃仁勳) arrived in Taiwan yesterday ahead of upcoming AI and technology events, saying he plans to meet with clients and Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Co Chairman C.C. Wei (魏哲家) during his visit. After landing at Taipei Songshan Airport, Huang posed for photos with fans and handed out Yakult drinks to reporters and supporters waiting at the scene, saying he has “a lot to do” during the trip. Asked about reports that Nvidia’s planned headquarters site in Taipei’s Beitou Shilin Technology Park could break ground on May 27, Huang said that if the company holds an event, he would
Carrefour Taiwan is to begin using a new name from the start of July, but it cannot divulge the name until then, the chairman of the supermarket chain's parent company said today. President Chain Store Co chairman Lo Chih-hsien (羅智先) was asked by reporters after a shareholders' meeting to confirm whether the company has settled on a new name for the supermarket brand. In March, the government-registered name of two Carrefour Taiwan branches was quietly changed to "Le Chia Kang" (樂家康) in Chinese, raising speculation that has been selected as the name. Lo said that because of local regulations and contractual obligations, the
The Philippines would likely be involved in any conflict over Taiwan due to its proximity to the democracy claimed by China, President Ferdinand Marcos Jr said, reiterating a stance that risks angering Beijing. “In the Philippines, we do not have a choice because Taiwan is so close to the Philippines and we have almost 200,000 Filipino nationals living and working in Taiwan,” Marcos said in an interview with Japanese media in Manila on Monday. The Philippine leader’s comments come ahead of a state visit to Japan next week, where he is to meet with Japanese Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi to discuss security
RSS