A Vietnamese woman's good intentions yesterday landed her a 50-day sentence exchangeable with a NT$50,000 fine. Her drunk-driving brother-in-law, who she was trying to protect, was still fined for drunk driving by the Taipei District Court.

According to court reports, the woman, surnamed Fan, was riding around Taipei County by scooter with her husband's family last September. Fan's brother-in-law rode his scooter while under the influence of alcohol and crashed into a pedestrian, breaking a bone in the person's leg.

When police officers arrived on scene, Fan, fearful that the police will fine her brother-in-law for drunk driving, claimed she was the one who hit the pedestrian. Many witnesses at the crash site contradicted her claims and the case was brought to court.

Fan was subsequently questioned by Taipei police, where she admitted she made the false claim due to prevent her brother-in-law from being penalized, as there were economic difficulties in her family. The court gave Fan a 50-day sentence, which can be substituted with a fine of NT$1,000 per day, rounding up to NT$50,000.