The Taipei District Court yesterday found South Korean Cho Jun-ki guilty of stealing money from the Democratic Progressive Party (DPP) headquarters in Taipei and sentenced him to five months in prison.
He was also found guilty of illegal entry into Taiwan and is to be deported upon completion of his sentence.
However, Cho can choose to pay a fine of NT$150,000 in lieu of serving time in jail.
The court confiscated the NT$90,000 Cho stole from DPP headquarters, along with ￥20,000 (US$177) that was found on him.
It was the first ruling and is subject to appeal.
Investigators said that video footage and other evidence showed Cho on Aug. 1 illegally entering the DPP office, taking cash from a safe and other items.
There were concerns that Cho might be a spy or was acting under the instructions of foreign authorities to look for classified documents that could undermine national security.
However, Cho denied he had any political motives, saying that he had acted alone and was looking only for money.
He was apprehended on Aug. 7 in New Taipei City’s Wulai District (烏來), hiding in a roadside hut.
Cho was placed under detention during the investigation and court hearing.
Investigators found that Cho had arrived in Taiwan on July 31, and carried out the burglary early the next morning, after which he caught a flight to Japan, was denied entry and deported back to Taiwan.
Due to of lax security measures, he was able to evade immigration procedures at Taiwan Taoyuan International Airport and took a taxi to Taipei.
He had arranged for his girlfriend, another South Korean, to meet him in Taipei, and the couple changed hotels several times in a bid to elude a manhunt by authorities.
The investigation also discovered that Cho is wanted by several countries.
He was given a light sentence because he admitted to the crime and showed remorse, saying he knew he had done wrong and he had offered an apology to Taiwan, the court ruling said.
Palauan President Surangel Whipps Jr arrived in Taiwan last night to kick off his first visit to the country since beginning his second term earlier this year. After arriving at Taoyuan International Airport at around 6:30 pm, Whipps and his delegation were welcomed by Minister of Foreign Affairs Lin Chia-lung (林佳龍). Speaking to gathered media, the Palauan leader said he was excited and honored to be back in Taiwan on his first state visit to Taiwan since he was sworn in this January. Among those traveling with Whipps is Minister of State Gustav N. Aitaro, Public Infrastructure
RESOLUTIONS DEBATE: Taiwan’s allies said that UN and WHA resolutions cited by China and other nations ‘do not determine Taiwan’s participation in WHO activities’ A proposal to invite Taiwan to this year’s World Health Assembly (WHA) was rejected on Monday, resulting in Taipei’s absence from the annual meeting for a ninth consecutive year, although partners spoke up for Taiwan’s participation at the first day of the meeting. The first agenda item after the opening was a “two-on-two debate” on a proposal to invite Taiwan to participate at the WHA as an observer. Similar to previous years, two countries made statements in favor of the proposal, while two others expressed their opposition. Philippine Secretary of Health Teodoro Herbosa, president of the 78th WHA, accepted the WHA General Committee’s
Premier Cho Jung-tai (卓榮泰) on Friday laid out the Cabinet’s updated policy agenda and recapped the government’s achievements ahead of the one-year anniversary of President William Lai’s (賴清德) inauguration. Cho said the government had made progress across a range of areas, including rebuilding Hualien, cracking down on fraud, improving pedestrian safety and promoting economic growth. “I hope the public will not have the impression that the Cabinet only asked the legislature to reconsider a bunch of legal amendments,” Cho said, calling the moves “necessary” to protect constitutional governance and the public’s interest. The Cabinet would work toward achieving its “1+7” plan, he said. The
At least three people died and more than a dozen were injured yesterday afternoon when a vehicle struck a group of pedestrians in New Taipei City’s Sansia District (三峽). The incident happened at about 4pm when a car rammed into pedestrians at an intersection near Bei Da Elementary School. Witnesses said the sedan, being driven at a high speed, ran a red light, knocking scooters out of the way and hitting students crossing the road before careening into a median near the intersection of Guocheng and Guoguang streets. The incident resulted in three deaths and 13 injuries, including the driver, a 78-year-old man
RSS