Cheng Wen-tsan Bribery Case: Defense Alleges Witness Lied, Prosecution Cites Evidence

(Central News Agency reporter Yeh Chen, Taoyuan, 9th) In the bribery case involving former Taoyuan Mayor Cheng Wen-tsan, the Taoyuan District Court on Monday cross-examined Liao Chun-sung, a key witness allegedly involved in bribery. Cheng Wen-tsan's legal team argued that Liao Chun-sung's statements were contradictory and difficult to pass judicial scrutiny. The prosecution, however, stated that various objective pieces of evidence are sufficient to reconstruct the bribery scenario.

Cheng Wen-tsan is implicated in a corruption case concerning the expansion of the Linkou Special District's Gongwu Industrial Zone (Hwaxia Technology Park). The alleged bribe amount is NT$5 million. The Taoyuan District Prosecutors Office has indicted him under the Anti-Corruption Act and is seeking a 12-year prison sentence.

During the court session, Liao Chun-sung, the former chairman of the Linkou Gongwu Redevelopment Zone Factory Construction Management Committee, was cross-examined. Throughout the process, Liao required repeated prompts from the judge and assistants, and his testimony at times contradicted transcripts from the time of the events.

In his testimony, Liao claimed he was introduced to Cheng Wen-tsan by Yang Chao-lin, the former general manager of the Formosa Plastics Group's General Administration Office. Liao stated he reported progress to Yang monthly and that Yang was the decision-maker. However, both Cheng and Yang have stated that they were introduced to each other by Liao.

In their statements, Yang Chao-lin and his lawyers pointed out that Liao Chun-sung initially approached Yang to participate in the investment. Yang agreed based on trust in Liao's expertise and delegated all subsequent development matters to Liao. When the land development project stalled for years, Yang decided to withdraw, which allegedly caused Liao's dissatisfaction.

Yang's legal team argued that Liao fabricated facts in court to shift blame onto Yang. They stated that Yang's dinner meeting with Cheng was a passive invitation and that no land development matters were discussed. The NT$5 million was withdrawn and delivered by Liao and his son, with Yang having no knowledge or involvement.

The prosecution argued that the NT$5 million was delivered by Liao personally to the official residence within seven days of a city government meeting on September 7, 2017. They contend this timing is highly coincidental and not typical of political donations, but rather a monetary delivery with bribery characteristics.

The prosecution further stated that the conclusions of the meetings on September 7 and September 14, 2017, closely matched Liao's requests. Even if the plan later changed, it does not negate the agreement at the time of the bribery. They argued that the city government's decision to handle the 9.12-hectare and 41-hectare parcels together was objectively to help Liao's case "hitch a ride."

Cheng Wen-tsan's legal team countered that Liao's testimony has been inconsistent from the start of the investigation. They noted that the prosecutor has presented several different versions of the quid pro quo relationship. They argued that relying solely on Liao's contradictory testimony for the alleged agreement constitutes insufficient evidence for the prosecution's burden of proof and cannot withstand judicial scrutiny.

The defense also stated that records from Taoyuan City Government meetings during Cheng's tenure clearly show that the city government never provided the assistance sought by Liao and his son in any version of the quid pro quo relationship. (Editor: Hsiao Po-wen) 1150609