The Taipei District Court yesterday found former Legislative Yuan secretary-general Lin Hsi-shan (林錫山) guilty of corruption, receiving kickbacks, being in possession of assets of unknown origin and other offenses, handing down a 16-year prison term and revoking his civil rights for six years.
It was the first ruling on the case and can be appealed.
Lin, a member of the Chinese Nationalist Party (KMT), had been detained since January last year, when the Taipei District Prosecutors’ Office launched a probe and raided his office at the Legislative Yuan, alongside searches at the workplaces of other defendants as allegations of corruption and influence peddling in government procurement projects emerged.
Photo: CNA
Lin was found guilty of instructing staff in his charge to collude with contractor Far Net Technologies Co (網遠科技) during a public tender for software installation and hardware upgrades while he was Legislative Yuan secretary-general under the KMT administration.
The court said in its ruling that Lin breached provisions of the Anti-Corruption Act (貪污治罪條例) and the Government Procurement Act (政府採購法), charging him on nine counts of corruption, receiving kickbacks and other offenses.
Evidence indicated that Lin had received NT$39.5 million (US$1.31 million) in kickbacks from Far Net, which was handed over in thick envelopes in a series of transactions that were videotaped by investigators following tip-offs.
“Far Net owner Lin Pao-cheng (李保承) went through intermediaries to contact Lin and learn details of the procurement projects,” the court said. “Lin leaked information on the conditions and specifications for telecommunications and computer systems, along with minimum bids that would be considered.”
From 2012 to 2015, Far Net won 23 public tender contracts for telecom and computer system upgrade projects at the Legislative Yuan, it said.
After receiving the tip-offs on irregularities in the procurements, investigators began watching Lin, Lee, and other people associated with the bidding process, with surveillance recording money transfers.
Taipei prosecutors said that during the trial, Lin denied having received kickbacks and denied money laundering charges, while he would only admit to having received bribes in association with carrying out his duties.
He also admitted to leaking information on public tender projects, prosecutors said.
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