The Tainan District Court yesterday sentenced former Tainan City Government Economic Development Bureau director-general Chen Kai-ling (陳凱凌) to eight years in prison and deprived him of his civil rights for five years after finding him guilty of multiple counts of corruption, property fraud and money laundering.
The ruling can be appealed.
The former Democratic Progressive Party member was taken into custody on Dec. 22 last year on allegations of property crimes, forging documents and accepting bribes in the form of cash, banquets and sex.
Photo: Wang Mei-hsiu, Taipei Times
Chen received a lighter sentence than 11 years in prison and deprivation of civil rights for 10 years, as he confessed his wrongdoing and returned a total of NT$1.8 million (US$56,435) received from bribes, the court said.
From when he took office in 2020 to December last year, Chen spent NT$7 million, which exceeded his claimed income of NT$4.76 million by NT$2.26 and Chen was unable to explain the disparity, it said.
As the bureau was in charge of planning and development of the Cigu Science and Industrial Park, Chen told a Taichung-based construction company owner surnamed Huang (黃) that he could convince the companies that won the bid for the park to subcontract Huang’s company, it said, adding Chen further insinuated that other public construction projects in the city could also be subcontracted to Huang’s company.
Chen was fully aware that the companies that secured the construction bids had the final say regarding whom they would subcontract and that he had no actual authority over the matter, the ruling said.
Chen demanded that Huang pay for lavish dinners, escort services and hotel fees, totaling NT$142,200, and give him an additional NT$1.8 million in cash, it said.
Huang realized that Chen defrauded him as the companies that won the bid for the park project sought other subcontractors, it said.
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