Pingtung Speaker Chou Tien-lun Sentenced to 3 Years and 4 Months in Terry Gou Petition Case

Chou Tien-lun, the KMT-affiliated Speaker of the Pingtung County Council, was sentenced to 3 years and 4 months in prison, fined NT$1.5 million, and stripped of his civil rights for 5 years by the Kaohsiung Branch of the High Court in a retrial. The case involves his role in providing NT$5 million to facilitate the presidential petition drive for Foxconn founder Terry Gou. Chou expressed regret over the verdict and stated he would consult with his lawyers to file an appeal upon receiving the written judgment. To ensure the petition met the required threshold, Chou had provided funds to Chaozhou Township Mayor Chou Pin-chuan, instructing him to recruit signatures using a multi-level marketing approach, offering NT$5,000 for every 10 signatures. This was deemed a violation of the Presidential and Vice Presidential Election and Recall Act. Following an initial sentence of 4 years and a subsequent reduction to 3 years and 2 months, the retrial resulted in a 3-year and 4-month sentence. The verdict can still be appealed.