FORMER TAIWAN president Chen Shui-bian was given a life sentence yesterday after he was found guilty of corruption, a verdict that sent shockwaves through the island’s fledgling democracy.
Mr Chen, who served two terms as president of the self-ruled island, angrily denied the charges, which he says are politically motivated. During his two presidencies from 2000-2008, Mr Chen upset Beijing by advocating formal independence from China, which has claimed sovereignty over the self-ruled island since the end of the Chinese civil war in 1949. He also angered the US, which has adopted a kid-gloves approach when dealing with China.
The case has transfixed the island of 23 million people, which held its first direct presidential election in 1996, nine years after it began dismantling four decades of strict one-party rule by the nationalist Kuomintang (KMT).
Taiwan has done much to clean up what used to be rampant corruption in the past two decades, largely because increased international exposure has meant Taiwanese firms have had to adopt western transparent standards of business. But politics on the island still has a very partisan and occasionally corrupt dimension.
Mr Chen will likely appeal the verdict, which is not expected to affect cross-Strait ties between Beijing and current Taiwan president Ma Ying-jeou of the China-friendly KMT.
The case involved Mr Chen’s extended family and a host of aides and associates. Mr Chen was also fined T$200 million (€4.2 million). His wife Wu Shu-chen was convicted on seven counts of graft and also sentenced to life in jail. She was fined T$300 million (€6.3 million). His son and daughter-in-law were handed sentences ranging from 20 to 30 months for related crimes.
“The defendant Chen Shui-bian has been a lawyer, a legislator, he has enjoyed a good reputation and then served as our country’s president,” the Taipei District Court said. “He should have been noble, but he served himself, he manipulated his family and those near him, and used his family to make money.”
Hundreds of his supporters demonstrated near the court, jostling with police when the sentence was handed down.
The charges against Mr Chen, who remains a popular figure in Taiwan despite the graft case, ranged from embezzlement of €2.2 million during his 2000-2008 presidency from a special presidential fund, of receiving bribes worth at least €6.2 million in connection with a government land deal, of laundering some of the money through Swiss bank accounts, and of forging documents. He was also accused of taking €1.9 million in a construction industry kickback.
Mr Chen’s defence said there had been illegal actions during the investigation of the case. “Similarly flagrant abuses of power have been exercised to pillory and try to make a scapegoat of former president Chen,” his foundation said.
