The Taoyuan District Court yesterday granted bail for a second time to former vice premier Cheng Wen-tsan (鄭文燦) after rejecting a detention request from prosecutors investigating graft allegations against him.
The ruling was made despite the High Court on Monday overturning the lower court’s decision on Saturday to grant him bail.
Cheng, a member of the Democratic Progressive Party, was released by the district court for a second time yesterday after paying bail of NT$12 million (US$368,777). The court also imposed limits on his movements and banned him from leaving the country.
Photo: Cheng Shu-ting, Taipei Times
Prosecutors appealed the ruling at the bail hearing.
On Friday last week, Cheng was summoned by the Taoyuan District Prosecutors’ Office as part of an investigation into alleged corruption involving a land zoning deal that occurred while he was Taoyuan mayor from December 2014 to December 2022.
After questioning him, prosecutors said they suspected Cheng of accepting a bribe, leaking information to other suspects and laundering money, and filed a motion to detain him and hold him incommunicado.
He was released on NT$5 million bail the following day.
The district court said that because prosecutors had collected detailed evidence of Cheng’s alleged involvement in the corruption case, which occurred seven years ago, there was no need to detain him.
While Cheng took a NT$5 million payment that might have been related to a developer’s plans to expand the Hwa Ya Technology Park (華亞科技園區) in Linkou District (林口) in 2017, he returned the money the next year, the district court said.
There was therefore no evidence supporting charges that Cheng concealed illegal proceeds, it said.
However, Cheng’s movements would still be restricted and he was barred from leaving Taiwan, and he was also prohibited from contacting other suspects and witnesses in the case, it said.
The High Court said it revoked the original bail ruling and ordered another bail hearing because of several issues, such as why the district court ignored the possibility that Cheng might collude with other witnesses or tamper with evidence.
The DPP on Monday said it decided during an extraordinary meeting that if Cheng were detained, he would be suspended from the party for three years.
If he was found guilty in a first trial (before an appeal could be filed), there would be further discussion of punishment that could lead to Cheng being expelled from the party.
After serving as Taoyuan mayor for two terms, Cheng was vice premier from January last year to May 20, when he was appointed chairman of the Straits Exchange Foundation.
He stepped down from his post on Sunday amid the corruption allegations.
PEAK MONTHS: Data showed that on average 25 to 27 typhoons formed in the Pacific and South China seas annually, with about four forming per month in July and October One of three tropical depressions in the Pacific strengthened into a typhoon yesterday afternoon, while two others are expected to become typhoons by today, Central Weather Administration (CWA) forecaster Lee Ming-hsiang (李名翔) said yesterday. The outer circulation of Tropical Depression No. 20, now Typhoon Mitag, has brought light rain to Hualien, Taitung and areas in the south, Lee said, adding that as of 2pm yesterday, Mitag was moving west-northwest at 16kph, but is not expected to directly affect Taiwan. It was possible that Tropical Depression No. 21 would become a typhoon as soon as last night, he said. It was moving in a
A Taiwanese academic yesterday said that Chinese Ambassador to Denmark Wang Xuefeng (王雪峰) disrespected Denmark and Japan when he earlier this year allegedly asked Japan’s embassy to make Taiwan’s representatives leave an event in Copenhagen. The Danish-language Berlingske on Sunday reported the incident in an article with the headline “The emperor’s birthday ended in drama in Copenhagen: More conflict may be on the way between Denmark and China.” It said that on Feb. 26, the Japanese embassy in Denmark held an event for Japanese Emperor Naruhito’s birthday, with about 200 guests in attendance, including representatives from Taiwan. After addressing the Japanese hosts, Wang
One of two tropical depressions that formed offshore this morning could turn into a moderate typhoon by the weekend, the Central Weather Administration (CWA) said today. Tropical Depression No. 21 formed at 8am about 1,850km off the southeast coast, CWA forecaster Lee Meng-hsuan (李孟軒) said. It is expected to move in a northwesterly direction as it continues building momentum, possibly intensifying into Typhoon Mitag this weekend, she added. The radius of the storm is expected to reach almost 200km, she said. It is expected to approach southeast of Taiwan on Monday and pass through the Bashi Channel between Tuesday and Wednesday,
About nine Taiwanese are “disappeared,” detained, or otherwise deprived of freedom of movement in China each month, the Mainland Affairs Council (MAC) said yesterday. Between Jan. 1 last year and Aug. 31 this year, 188 Taiwanese travelers went missing, were detained and interrogated, or had their personal freedom restricted, with some questioned in airports or hotel lobbies, the council said. In a statement ahead of the Mid-Autumn Festival, the council urged people visiting China for any reason to be highly vigilant and aware of the risks. Of the reported cases, 50 people were “disappeared” after entering China, 19 were detained and 119 had
RSS