The Tainan District Court on Thursday found former Cabinet spokesman Chen Tsung-yen (陳宗彥) not guilty of accepting sexual favors and bribery, citing insufficient evidence.
The case began in 2013, when Chen served as the chief of the Tainan Department of Information and the Civil Affairs Bureau. During his tenure, he was asked to help with a police chief’s transfer request and assist in the local government approval process for the remodeling of a nightclub.
Chen was accused of accepting favors from the nightclub owner, identified as someone surnamed Lien (連), and his deputy, surnamed Wang (王), who had asked Chen to expedite the approval process.
Photo: CNA
Chen went to the nightclub, where Lien and Wang allegedly arranged for him to receive sexual services from a female hostess.
In April 2014, the case was referred for separate handling due to a lack of evidence. The follow-up investigation also ended with no charges, as no bribery could be substantiated.
Then in early 2023, a new complaint revived the case, prompting Chen to resign from his Cabinet post after only 18 days in office.
Prosecutors indicted Chen on Aug. 15 last year, seeking a heavy sentence on grounds that he showed little remorse.
Chen allegedly had sex with three women, who used pseudonyms, on 16 occasions, which involved 10 payments of NT$12,000 and two instances when gifts were given instead.
However, due to the decade-long time gap, prosecutors were unable to locate or summon the three women to testify.
Chen maintained his innocence, denying the accusations.
The court in a statement said that people in a wiretapping recording did mention a “Chairman Chen (陳董),” but investigators were not sure whether it referred to Chen Tsung-yen or someone else, and that there was a lack of evidence directly referencing him.
“Lien and Wang during investigations and cross-examinations denied arranging sexual favors for Chen, and the wiretap recording did not refer to Chen directly, so Chen has been acquitted,” the court filing said.
The recording also only captured conversations between Wang and other staff during the alleged time of the incident, the filing said, adding that there were no conversations between Wang and Chen.
“Now that I am acquitted, I feel grateful and relieved. I hope this dark shadow over me can now be lifted,” Chen said in a statement on Friday.
Lien and Wang were acquitted of “gaining illicit financial gain from providing sexual favors,” but were found guilty on 10 counts of “profiting from arranging sexual service transactions for unknown male customers.”
They received suspended sentences, for which they could pay fines in lieu of the prison sentences handed to them — one year for Lien and six months for Wang, the court filing said.
The verdict can still be appealed.
Additional reporting by Jason Pan
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