Corruption Case of Taipei Councilor Chen Chong-wen: Second Trial Opens as Lawyer Requests Evidence Review

The second trial for Taipei City Councilor Chen Chong-wen's corruption case opened today at the Taiwan High Court. The judge expressed hope to conclude the case within this year. Chen's lawyer requested the delivery of recording discs from several witnesses for examination and is currently organizing the interpellations of other councilors to prove or disprove causality in the case. Councilor Chen stated he had no comments and left it to his lawyers. Lawyer Lyu Jiunn-jye mentioned that some witness testimonies might be subjective speculations and sought to verify evidence capabilities. The judge noted that the objective facts, such as the Social Affairs Bureau renting services from Taichiku and Chen's company sub-contracting equipment, are clear. The focus remains on whether Chen's actions as a councilor constitute corruption and illegal profiting. According to the first-instance judgment, Chen used his position to pressure city departments to purchase equipment from his own company, 'Liqi Cloud,' profiting over NT$3 million. He was also convicted of forgery and embezzlement. The original sentence was 8 years and 6 months for non-commutable offenses plus 6 months for commutable ones.