The Chiayi District Court yesterday cleared Democratic Progressive Party (DPP) Legislator Chen Ming-wen (陳明文) of all charges of bribery in connection with a sewage construction project in Chiayi County when he served as county commissioner.
Chen was accused of taking bribes in relation to the NT$654 million (US$21.8 million) sewage treatment plant project in Minhsiung Township (民雄) in 2007.
Chen is in Japan to attend his son’s graduation, but his office issued a statement saying justice had been delayed, but finally upheld.
The Ministry of Justice’s Investigation Bureau had taken charge of the investigation as a result of political manipulation, the statement said, and there were illegal detentions and many instances of abuse of power throughout the judicial proceedings.
The statement quoted Chen as saying he did not take any bribes from the firms bidding for the project, he did not waste government funds and did not leak information to any bidders.
The verdict can be appealed.
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