Taiwan’s former first lady, children sentenced for corruption

TAIPEI - Four members of former Taiwan president Chen Shui-bian’s family were sentenced on corruption charges Tuesday but Chen himself is not scheduled to be sentenced until next week.

The Taipei district court sentenced ex-first lady Wu Shu-chen to one year in prison and the other three family members were given reduced sentences because they admitted their wrongdoing.

Wu was imprisoned for giving false testimony and inciting others to commit crimes, because she asked her daughter Chen Hsing-yu, son-in-law Wang Chien-ming and son Chen Chih-chung to use receipts for family shopping to claim reimbursements from state funds.

Chen Hsing-yu, Wang Chien-ming and Chen Chih-chung were each given a six-month jail term. The four can appeal the ruling.

This is the first sentencing in the Chen family corruption scandal.

Chen and his wife were charged with embezzling $2.97 million in state funds, accepting $14 million in bribes, money laundering, influence peddling, extortion and document forgery during his two terms.

He has denied the charges, calling his detention and trial political persecution by the administration of President Ma Ying-jeou from the China-friendly Chinese Nationalist Party.

The Taipei district court is scheduled announce the sentencing for Chen Sep 11.

If convicted, Chen could face a maximum sentence of life imprisonment, court officials said.