The High Court today found suspended Hsinchu mayor Ann Kao (高虹安) not guilty of embezzling assistant fees, reducing her sentence to six months in prison commutable to a fine from seven years and four months.
Today’s verdict acquitted the mayor formerly of the Taiwan People’s Party (TPP) of the corruption charge, but found her guilty of causing a public official to commit document forgery.
The ruling may be appealed.
Photo: Hung Mei-hsiu, Taipei Times
The Taipei District Court on July 26 found Kao guilty of contravening the Anti-Corruption Act (貪污治罪條例) and the Criminal Code, sentencing her to seven years and four months in prison, and depriving her of her civil rights for four years.
The first trial found that Kao had embezzled assistant fees by falsely reporting salaries and overtime pay during her term as legislator from Feb. 1, 2020, to Dec. 25, 2022.
Prosecutors alleged that Kao’s office had gained illicit proceeds of more than NT$460,000, although the first ruling found that she had only embezzled NT$116,514 during her tenure.
Kao and prosecutors both appealed the first conviction, with Kao seeking acquittal and prosecutors requesting a heavier sentence.
In the second trial, Kao said that she did not use the money for her own benefit and denied engaging in corruption.
Her attorney also requested a sentence commutable to a fine in consideration of her future political career.
The court ruled that her sentence may be commuted to a fine of NT$180,000.
Prosecutors said they would appeal the decision.
Three of Kao’s assistants were also convicted of causing a public official to falsify official documents, receiving sentences from two months to four months, while a fourth assistant was found not guilty.
Their sentences were reduced from the first trial, in which the three assistants received sentences between one and two years.
Kao in a statement thanked the court for issuing its judgement “based on the facts,” and said she would respond to the other charge after receiving the written verdict.
She also said she would complete the reinstatement process as soon as possible to return to her post as mayor.
The Ministry of the Interior said that Kao may apply to be reinstated in accordance with the Local Government Act (地方制度法), and vowed to process the request upon receipt of her application.
Outside the court, TPP Secretary-General Vincent Chou (周榆修) called for an end to “political persecution.”
Today’s verdict clearly shows that Kao did not embezzle funds, he told reporters, adding that whether she would be reinstated should be handled by the authorities in accordance with the law.
Additional reporting by Hung Mei-hsiu and Kayleigh Madjar
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