Chen set to spend New Year holiday behind bars

The three-judge panel at the court decided to keep Chen in custody, because many issues related to pending corruption and money laundering charges must be investigated and clarified. “And if released, Chen may flee, forge or destroy evidence and collude with the other suspects or witnesses involved in the wide-ranging graft and money laundering cases,” the panel said in a statement.

The same reasons were used by a Taiwan district court to keep Chen, who was president for two full terms until May 2008, as it turned down repeated appeals for release on bail since he was taken into custody in December 2008.

The 59-year-old was convicted in September 2008 of embezzling money from a discretionary state affairs funds, laundering money, taking bribes from local businessmen and committing forgery.

Both Chen and his wife Wu Shu-chen were sentenced to life in prison on Sept. 11, 2009 by the Taipei District Court and fined NT$200 million (US$6.13 million) and NT$300 million, respectively.

The high court panel took charge of Chen's case on Sept. 24, 2009 after he appealed the district-court's ruling. The panel ruled that same day that Chen should remain in custody for another three months.

The former president was first detained Nov. 12, 2008 and was released Dec. 13 of the same year following his indictment.

He was detained again on Dec. 30, 2008 after the Taipei District Court approved a request by prosecutors to take him back into custody, and he has not been released since.

The opposition Democratic Progressive Party (DPP), which Chen once led, has urged the government to free him immediately.

In response to yesterday's ruling, DPP spokesman Tsai Chi-chang said that the party felt great disappointment after learning of the high court's ruling to keep Chen in custody for another two months, adding that Chen should be granted an opportunity to receive a fair trial and be allowed to make sufficient preparation to defend himself at trial sessions.

Meanwhile, Chen's family members are planning to visit Chen at the Taipei Detention Center during the Chinese New Year holidays. His son Chen Chi-chung is slated to see his father on the eve of the Chinese New Year, Feb. 13, and his wife Wu Su-chen is expected to visit Chen on the third and sixth day of the lunar month of January.

In related news, the Taipei District Court yesterday ruled to have Next Magazine give Chen Chi-chung a compensation of NT$700,000 for publishing a groundless report that alleged that Chen was trying to help a foreign bank win a commercial lawsuit against Asia-Pacific Telecom.

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