The Taipei District Court on Monday approved the release of former Democratic Progressive Party (DPP) legislator Chen Ou-po (陳歐珀) on bail of NT$5 million (US$159,033) after four months in detention as prosecutors continued their investigation into allegations of corruption.
Chen is required to wear an electronic monitoring device and restricted from leaving the country.
Chen, who served three terms as the legislative representative of Yilan County, is accused of accepting bribes from a Keelung-based logistics company and from a car rental firm.
Photo: Chen Yi-kuan, Taipei Times
Following an investigation by the Ministry of Justice Agency Against Corruption, Taipei prosecutors indicted Chen earlier this year, and a judge in June ruled to place him in pre-trial detention.
In August, the court approved prosecutors’ request that he be detained by another two months, citing the likelihood of collusion in testimony and deeming him a flight risk.
During his second detention extension hearing on Monday, the judge approved his release on bail.
Chen faces charges of receiving a total of NT$8.74 million in bribes and fradulent subsidy claims for legislative assistants.
He allegedly received NT$50,000 per month — or a total of NT$4.13 million — in “consulting fees” from United Logistics International Co (ULIC) owner Hung Cheng-ying (洪英正).
The money was to bribe Chen to use his office as legislator to propose amendments to the Commercial Port Act (商港法) to benefit ULIC, including reducing port rental and operating fees, prosecutors said.
Chen also allegedly took NT$500,000 in bribes from a car rental company headed by a man surnamed Hsiao (蕭) to propose revisions to laws regulating taxis, Uber and the passenger transport business to restrict competition that could adversely affect Hsiao’s business, they said.
Furthermore, the former lawmaker is accused of fraudulently claiming more than NT$4.11 million in subsidies for legislative assistants during his tenure, and faces charges two counts of money laundering, the indictment said.
Taipei prosecutors have indicted him on three counts, seeking eight years, seven years and two months, and seven years and six months imprisonment, plus one year and six months each on two money laundering counts, for a total sentence of 24 years and two months.
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