A man convicted for his role in a train derailment in 2006 was yesterday ordered to pay the Taiwan Railway Administration (TRA) NT$54.75 million (US$1.87 million) in damages.
The ruling by the Taiwan High Court’s Kaohsiung branch, which can be appealed in the Supreme Court, was made against Lee Tai-an (李泰安), who was convicted for his role in a derailment on the South Link railway, along with the sons of his late brother.
On March 17, 2006, an express train traveling from Taitung to Kaohsiung derailed in Pingtung County, causing serious damage and injuring some passengers.
In his first trial, Lee was sentenced to life imprisonment, a sentence that was reduced to 18 years in jail in the second trial and then to 13 years in the third trial.
His sentence was reduced because the courts found that Lee Tai-an’s brother, Lee Shuang-chuan (李雙全), was the main culprit, while Lee Tai-an had just been an accessory to the crime.
The TRA has filed a civil lawsuit requesting Lee Tai-an and his family pay damages for the derailment.
Lee Shuang-chuan, who was a TRA employee, and his Vietnamese wife, Chen Hong-chen (陳氏紅琛), were on the train when it derailed.
Investigators believe the derailment was caused by the brothers sabotaging railway infrastructure.
Chen, who was injured in the accident, was later poisoned by her husband while she was recovering from her injuries in a hospital.
Lee Shuang-chuan committed suicide on March 23, 2006.
In yesterday’s ruling, the court said Lee Tai-an and the two sons of Lee Shuang-chuan should all contribute to the damage payments.
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