Ex President Chen’s wife, son, daughter and son-in-law found guilty
The Taipei district court sentenced Chen’s wife, Wu Shuchen, to a two-year sentence for perjury for instigating the other three to make false statements and making fraudulent claims to a special government fund, sentence that was halved because she pleaded guilty.
Her son Chen Chihchung, daughter Chen Hsingyu and son-in-law Chao Chienming were sentenced to a year in prison, but they too saw their sentence reduced to six months after they pleaded guilty as well. All three had previously been convicted in money laundering when funds were put in foreign accounts under their name.
Although the four pleaded guilty, they did not qualify to suspended sentences because other charges against them are still pending. This means they are likely to go to jail, but it is widely expected they will appeal.
One of Chen’s aides, Wang Shih-shih, described the verdicts as "highly unfair". He said Wu and her children should be pardoned since they had confessed. By contrast Kuomintang officials complained the sentences were too mild.
The former president has been in prison since last December (pictured) on charges of corruption and embezzlement and could get life behind bars.
Chen, who was president between 2000 and 2008, has always rejected the charges, claiming they were politically motivated, ordered by his successor, President Ma Ying-jeou, against him for his pro-independence and anti-mainland stance.
His sentence on corruption and money laundering and that of his wife, son and daughter-in-law are expected on 11 September.
Analysts note that the heavy sentence, which is not disagreeable to Beijing, comes at a difficult time in bilateral relations, following the visit to Taiwan of the Dalai Lama and Beijing’s subsequent complaints.
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