Former Executive Yuan secretary-general Lin Yi-shih (林益世) was yesterday found guilty of accepting bribes and sentenced to a prison term of 13 years and six months by the Taiwan High Court, which also fined Lin NT$15.8 million (US$471,754).
Lin’s mother, Shen Juo-lan (沈若蘭), received a five-month term, which can be commuted to pay a fine of NT$150,000, for her role in destroying evidence in the case stemming from 2010, when Lin was a Chinese Nationalist Party (KMT) legislator.
It was the second ruling on the case and the decision can be appealed.
Yesterday’s ruling was widely viewed as a heavy sentence, as the High Court handed down a longer prison term than in the first ruling by the Taipei District Court in 2013.
In the 2013 ruling, the court sentenced Lin to seven years and four months in prison, along with a fine of NT$15.8 million, while finding the other four defendants in the case — Lin’s wife, Peng Ai-chia (彭愛佳), his mother and two uncles, Shen Huan-yao (沈煥瑤) and Shen Huan-chang (沈煥璋) — not guilty of money laundering.
The High Court yesterday upheld the not guilty verdict for Peng and Lin’s mother’s brothers from the first ruling.
Lawyer Lo Ping-cheng (羅秉成) spoke on behalf of Lin after the court’s ruling yesterday, saying: “After hearing that he was given a heavier sentence, Lin did not display much emotion, but said he was disappointed by the ruling.
Lo said the ruling was regretful.
The ruling found Lin guilty of breaching official duty by receiving bribes and offenses of a public official accepting assets or property from unidentified sources.
The High Court said that Lin in 2010 held a legislator seat and was also the head of a top-level KMT policymaking body, and thus was in a position to influence the financial operation and management of state-owned China Steel Corp (CSC,中鋼) and its subsidiary, CHC Resources (中聯資源), through which Lin allegedly received NT$63 million in bribes.
The original indictment said that in 2010, Lin helped Kaohsiung-based Ti Yung Co (地勇選礦公司) to secure a slag treatment contract from CHC Resources in exchange for NT$63 million from Ti Yung owner Chen Chi-hsiang (陳啟祥).
GENSLER SURVEY: ‘Economic infrastructure is not enough. A city needs to inspire pride, offer moments of joy and foster a sense of belonging,’ the company said Taipei was named the city with the “highest staying power” in the world by US-based design and architecture firm Gensler. The Taiwanese capital earned the top spot among 65 cities across six continents with 64 percent of Taipei respondents in a survey of 33,000 people saying they wanted to stay in the city. Rounding out the top five were Vietnam’s Ho Chi Minh City (61 percent), Singapore (59 percent), Sydney (58 percent) and Berlin (51 percent). Sixth to 10th place went to Monterrey, Mexico; Munich, Germany; Sao Paulo, Brazil; Vancouver; and Seoul. Cities in the US were ranked separately, with Minneapolis first at
The Japan-Taiwan Exchange Association has cautioned Japanese travelers to be vigilant against pickpockets at several popular tourist spots in Taiwan, including Taipei’s night markets, the Yongkang Street area, Zhongshan MRT Station, and Jiufen (九份) in New Taipei City. The advisory, titled “Recent Development of Concerns,” was posted on the association’s Web site under its safety and emergency report section. It urges travelers to keep backpacks fully zipped and carried in front, with valuables placed at the bottom of the bag. Visitors are advised to be especially mindful of their belongings when taking photos or speaking on the phone, avoid storing wallets and
Scoot announced yesterday that starting in October, it would increase flights between Taipei and Japan’s Narita airport and Hokkaido, and between Singapore and Taipei. The low-cost airline, a subsidiary of Singapore Airlines, also said it would launch flights to Chiang Rai in Thailand, Okinawa and Tokyo’s Haneda airport between December and March next year. Flights between Singapore and Chiang Rai would begin on Jan. 1, with five flights per week operated by an Embraer E190-E2 aircraft, Scoot said. Flights between Singapore and Okinawa would begin on Dec. 15, with three flights per week operated by Airbus A320 aircraft, the airline said. Services between Singapore
ENDORSING TAIWAN: Honduran presidential candidate Nasry Afura said that Honduras was ‘100 times better off’ when it was allied with Taipei The Ministry of Foreign Affairs yesterday said it would explore the possibility of restoring diplomatic relations with Honduras based on the principle of maintaining national interests and dignity. The ministry made the remarks in response to reporters’ questions regarding an article titled: “Will Taiwan Regain a Diplomatic Ally?” published in The Diplomat on Saturday. The article said Honduras’ presidential election in November could offer Taiwan the chance to regain an ally, as multiple candidates have promoted re-establishing diplomatic relations with Taiwan. Honduras severed diplomatic ties with Taiwan in March 2023 in favor of Beijing, but since switching its diplomatic recognition,
RSS