Former Taipei deputy mayor Pong Cheng-sheng (彭振聲) and former Taipei Urban Planning Commission executive secretary Shao Hsiu-pei (邵琇珮) pled guilty in an initial hearing for the Core Pacific corruption case today.
A third defendant, Lee Wen-tsung (李文宗), finance chief of former Taipei mayor Ko Wen-je’s (柯文哲) presidential campaign for last year’s election, maintained his innocence and denied contravening any law or accepting a bribe.
Photo: Tu Chien-jung, Taipei Times
Other defendants are expected to appear before the Taipei District Court in March, the judge said.
Lee’s trial is set to continue on March 20.
As Pong and Shao confessed and have no prior criminal history, prosecutors recommended that their sentences be reduced, with Shao in particular meriting a reduced sentence under Article 14 of the Witness Protection Act (證人保護法) for helping prosecutors with the case.
Pong said he stood by his previous statements to prosecutors and would not retract his confession.
Pong’s lawyer expressed concerns about the scope of the investigation, saying that Chinese Nationalist Party (KMT) Taipei City Councilor Angela Ying (應曉薇) should also face charges as an accomplice under the Anti-Corruption Act (貪污治罪條例).
Shao’s lawyer confirmed her guilty plea and argued that she deserved a suspended sentence, as her sentence has been reduced twice.
Shao also agreed with the judge’s instruction that as part of Shao’s forthcoming testimony, she cannot discuss details of the case with anyone prior to its conclusion.
Lee is accused of accepting a NT$2.1 million (US$64,069) bribe in the Core Pacific case, misappropriating funds using Ko’s image and likeness, and embezzling NT$8.27 million through a foundation with Ko.
Denying the charges, Lee said that he had nothing to do with changing the floor area ratio of the development site and his role was in helping Ko receive guests.
Regarding the alleged NT$2.1 million that Lee discussed with codefendant Chu Yea-hu (朱亞虎), former Dingyue Development Corp president, Lee said the money was a political contribution.
Lee also disagreed with prosecutors’ accusations that the marketing firm Muko Public Relations (木可行銷公關) and Ko’s foundation were fronts for providing funds.
On Dec. 27 last year, Ko and 10 others were indicted on charges of bribery, embezzlement and more, with the former presidential candidate facing a total prison sentence of up to 28 years and six months.
The remaining defendants include Lee, Ying, former head of Taipei's urban development department Huang Ching-mao (黃景茂), Core Pacific supervisor Chang Chih-cheng (張志澄) and Muko director Lee Wen-chuan (李文娟).
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