The Supreme Court yesterday dismissed an appeal by Keelung City Councilor Chang Hao-han (張顥瀚) in a case involving government-funded aide subsidies, making final his sentence of 23 months in prison, suspended for five years.
Chang, a member of the Democratic Progressive Party (DPP), was also deprived of his civil rights for two years.
The ruling means Chang can no longer serve as a city councilor.
Photo copied by Yu Chao-fu, Taipei Times
Chang took advantage of his position as a city councilor and instructed a government-funded aide, surnamed Chen (陳), to falsely report her salary beginning in 2019, the indictment said.
He allegedly obtained NT$670,033 through the fraudulent arrangement.
Chang also allegedly listed his mother, surnamed Lee, as a government-funded aide without her knowledge.
He allegedly obtained another NT$112,453 in aide subsidies and Lunar New Year payments through the fraudulent employment arrangement between 2018 and 2022.
Under the Regulations Governing Allowances for Elected Representatives and Subsidies for Chiefs of Villages (地方民意代表費用支給及村里長事務補助費補助條例), subsidies for government-funded aides and Lunar New Year payments are paid from budgets allocated by local councils and are separate from councilors' salaries, the indictment said.
The Keelung District Prosecutors’ Office indicted Chang and Chen on charges including taking advantage of their official positions to fraudulently obtain property under the Anti-Corruption Act (貪污治罪條例).
The Keelung District Court in May last year sentenced Chang to two years in prison, suspended for five years, deprived him of his civil rights for four years, and ordered him to pay NT$200,000 to the National Treasury Administration.
Chen was sentenced to one year and four months in prison, suspended for four years, and deprived of her civil rights for two years.
On appeal, the Taiwan High Court reduced Chang's prison sentence to 23 months and deprived him of his civil rights to two years, while maintaining the five-year suspended sentence.
It also placed him under probation during the suspension period and ordered him to pay NT$200,000 to the National Treasury Administration.
The Supreme Court yesterday upheld the High Court ruling, making it final.
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