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Tuesday, 1 September 2009
Taiwan’s former first lady sentenced on perjury charges
A Taiwan court on Tuesday sentenced the wife of ex-president Chen Shui-bian to a year in jail for perjury, as it passed the first convictions in an unprecedented case against the former first family.
Taiwan’s former first lady sentenced on perjury charges
Agence France-Presse in Taipei 01 September 2009
A Taiwan court on Tuesday sentenced the wife of ex-president Chen Shui-bian to a year in jail for perjury, as it passed the first convictions in an unprecedented case against the former first family.
The Taipei district court also sentenced Chen’s son, daughter and son-in-law to six months each, just days before Chen himself is due to be sentenced.
Former first lady Wu Shu-chen’s two-year sentence was immediately reduced to a year, in accordance with amnesty regulations initiated by her husband when president, and approved by parliament in 2007.
“They are well educated and should have served as models for the people,” court spokesman Huang Chun-ming told reporters, speaking of the Chen family.
“But their false testimony has wasted the country’s judicial resources and prevented the court from exercising justice.”
Wu was indicted for instigating perjury as she allegedly instructed her children to lie during a probe into embezzlement charges against both herself and her husband, the prosecutor said.
The court sentenced the couple’s son Chen Chih-chung, daughter Chen Hsing-yu and son-in-law Chao Chien-ming to one year imprisonment for perjury, but reduced the terms to six months, citing the amnesty rules.
On September 11 the court is scheduled to pass a verdict in a corruption case against the ex-president.
Chen left office last year after serving the maximum presidential term of eight years.
He now stands accused of embezzling public funds, money laundering, accepting bribes on a land deal, influence peddling and forgery. He could face life in jail.
According to Tuesday’s verdict, the four defendants had pleaded guilty during the investigation and trial.
The court also handed down an 18-month sentence to Diana Chen -- the former chairwoman of Taipei 101, one of the world’s tallest buildings -- who had been charged with giving conflicting testimony in Chen’s corruption trial.
Chen’s wife, son, daughter-in-law and brother-in-law have also been charged with various other offences in connection with the sprawling case, which has engrossed Taiwan for months.
Chen, who has been detained since December, has dismissed his lawyers and kept silent in recent court sessions in protest against his detention and trial.
He denies the charges and says the allegations against him and his family are a witch-hunt motivated and orchestrated by his China-friendly successor, President Ma Ying-jeou.
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Taiwan’s former first lady sentenced on perjury charges
Agence France-Presse in Taipei
01 September 2009
A Taiwan court on Tuesday sentenced the wife of ex-president Chen Shui-bian to a year in jail for perjury, as it passed the first convictions in an unprecedented case against the former first family.
The Taipei district court also sentenced Chen’s son, daughter and son-in-law to six months each, just days before Chen himself is due to be sentenced.
Former first lady Wu Shu-chen’s two-year sentence was immediately reduced to a year, in accordance with amnesty regulations initiated by her husband when president, and approved by parliament in 2007.
“They are well educated and should have served as models for the people,” court spokesman Huang Chun-ming told reporters, speaking of the Chen family.
“But their false testimony has wasted the country’s judicial resources and prevented the court from exercising justice.”
Wu was indicted for instigating perjury as she allegedly instructed her children to lie during a probe into embezzlement charges against both herself and her husband, the prosecutor said.
The court sentenced the couple’s son Chen Chih-chung, daughter Chen Hsing-yu and son-in-law Chao Chien-ming to one year imprisonment for perjury, but reduced the terms to six months, citing the amnesty rules.
On September 11 the court is scheduled to pass a verdict in a corruption case against the ex-president.
Chen left office last year after serving the maximum presidential term of eight years.
He now stands accused of embezzling public funds, money laundering, accepting bribes on a land deal, influence peddling and forgery. He could face life in jail.
According to Tuesday’s verdict, the four defendants had pleaded guilty during the investigation and trial.
The court also handed down an 18-month sentence to Diana Chen -- the former chairwoman of Taipei 101, one of the world’s tallest buildings -- who had been charged with giving conflicting testimony in Chen’s corruption trial.
Chen’s wife, son, daughter-in-law and brother-in-law have also been charged with various other offences in connection with the sprawling case, which has engrossed Taiwan for months.
Chen, who has been detained since December, has dismissed his lawyers and kept silent in recent court sessions in protest against his detention and trial.
He denies the charges and says the allegations against him and his family are a witch-hunt motivated and orchestrated by his China-friendly successor, President Ma Ying-jeou.
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