Former Keelung mayor Chang Tung-jung (張通榮) yesterday saw his 20-month jail term for influence peddling reduced to a suspended sentence of one year and eight months, meaning he does not have to serve time, in a ruling by the Taiwan High Court.
Yesterday’s ruling also reduced his fine to NT$1.5 million (US$45,817) from NT$2 million and required community service to 80 hours from 200 hours.
Chang, a member of the Chinese Nationalist Chinese Party (KMT), won the mayoral elections in 2007 and 2009, and served two terms as Keelung mayor from 2007 to last year.
Chang released a statement saying that he would not file an appeal.
“I thank the court for giving me a conditional suspended sentence. I set a bad example with my actions and I apologize to the public and the police officers,” the statement read.
Chang was found guilty of using his position to pressure Keelung police officers to release a woman surnamed Liao (廖), who was taken in for drunk driving and assaulting a female police officer while being questioned in an incident in September 2012.
Chang yelled at police officers, pounded his fist on the desk and threatened to remove them from their posts. Intimidated by the mayor’s authority, the officers released Liao from custody.
The High Court ruling said that Chang used his position to enable the individual in question to evade punishment, which has seriously damaged the credibility of the nation’s civil administration and judicial system.
During the trial, Chang did not admit guilt and tried to defend his action by saying it was based on “goodwill to help maintain good relations between police and the public,” the ruling said.
However, given that he was not motivated by personal profit and has since shown remorse, the court decided to give him a suspended sentence, the statement said.
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