Former Kouhu Township Chief Lin Che-ling Sentenced to 10 Years for Bribery from Optoelectronics Companies, Verdict Finalized
Former Kouhu Township Chief Lin Che-ling, now an independent Yunlin County Councilor, has been sentenced to 10 years in prison and deprived of civil rights for 8 years for soliciting bribes from optoelectronics companies during his term. The Supreme Court today rejected his appeal, finalizing the verdict and notifying prosecutors to initiate measures to prevent his escape.
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- 📰 Published: May 7, 2026 at 17:20
- 🔍 Collected: May 7, 2026 at 17:32 (11 min after Published)
- 🤖 AI Analyzed: May 7, 2026 at 18:02 (29 min after Collected)
Central News Agency
(Central News Agency reporter Hsieh Chun-ling, Taipei, 7th) Independent Yunlin County Councilor Lin Che-ling was accused of soliciting bribes from optoelectronics companies during his tenure as Kouhu Township Chief. All previous trials sentenced him to 10 years in prison and deprived him of civil rights for 8 years, with 4 million NTD in unrecovered criminal proceeds confiscated. The Supreme Court today rejected his appeal, finalizing the verdict and notifying prosecutors to initiate measures to prevent his escape.
The second instance judgment by the Tainan Branch of the Taiwan High Court pointed out that Lin, while holding the position of township chief, abused his power to solicit bribes from manufacturers, undermining public trust in state institutions and harming national interests. Manufacturers consequently had to bear huge additional costs.
The judgment stated that Lin consistently denied the charges, making it difficult to consider his attitude after the crime as good. The collegiate panel deemed the original sentence appropriate. The original court's ruling on the charges under the Anti-Corruption Act, including the deprivation of civil rights for 8 years and the confiscation and recovery of 4 million NTD in unrecovered criminal proceeds, all complied with legal provisions and should be upheld. The defendant's appeal denying the charges was deemed insufficient, thus the appeal was rejected.
The first instance judgment by the Yunlin District Court stated that in 2017, an optoelectronics company planned to undertake a project in Kouhu Township. Local village chiefs and residents repeatedly complained to the Kouhu Township Office and the Yunlin County Government, alleging that the company's construction damaged surrounding roads and residents' land, affected aquaculture, and even launched protests to block construction and demand huge compensation.
According to the judgment, to ensure the smooth progress of the project, the optoelectronics company, through a woman surnamed Huang, expressed its willingness to pay 3.5 million NTD to resolve public protests. Lin instructed Huang to mediate and handle the matter, signing a false engineering consulting commission contract, fabricating cost expenditure items, and producing false invoices to cover the flow of funds. The cash was later distributed to some protesting residents.
The judgment pointed out that another optoelectronics company visited Lin Che-ling in 2020, expressing the need for more assistance from the township office and concern about delays in construction permit procedures. Lin again used Huang as a middleman to solicit bribes. Eventually, both parties reached an agreement of 4 million NTD, and the cash was handed over to Lin.
The collegiate panel of the Yunlin District Court believed that although the township office had a hierarchical decision-making process, Lin Che-ling, as the township chief, had the ultimate decision-making power over township affairs. Especially after Lin met with representatives of the optoelectronics company, he received money through Huang, and the optoelectronics company successfully obtained construction permits and approval to start work. Therefore, a quid pro quo relationship was recognized. (Editors: Chang Ming-kun) 1150507
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(Central News Agency reporter Hsieh Chun-ling, Taipei, 7th) Independent Yunlin County Councilor Lin Che-ling was accused of soliciting bribes from optoelectronics companies during his tenure as Kouhu Township Chief. All previous trials sentenced him to 10 years in prison and deprived him of civil rights for 8 years, with 4 million NTD in unrecovered criminal proceeds confiscated. The Supreme Court today rejected his appeal, finalizing the verdict and notifying prosecutors to initiate measures to prevent his escape.
The second instance judgment by the Tainan Branch of the Taiwan High Court pointed out that Lin, while holding the position of township chief, abused his power to solicit bribes from manufacturers, undermining public trust in state institutions and harming national interests. Manufacturers consequently had to bear huge additional costs.
The judgment stated that Lin consistently denied the charges, making it difficult to consider his attitude after the crime as good. The collegiate panel deemed the original sentence appropriate. The original court's ruling on the charges under the Anti-Corruption Act, including the deprivation of civil rights for 8 years and the confiscation and recovery of 4 million NTD in unrecovered criminal proceeds, all complied with legal provisions and should be upheld. The defendant's appeal denying the charges was deemed insufficient, thus the appeal was rejected.
The first instance judgment by the Yunlin District Court stated that in 2017, an optoelectronics company planned to undertake a project in Kouhu Township. Local village chiefs and residents repeatedly complained to the Kouhu Township Office and the Yunlin County Government, alleging that the company's construction damaged surrounding roads and residents' land, affected aquaculture, and even launched protests to block construction and demand huge compensation.
According to the judgment, to ensure the smooth progress of the project, the optoelectronics company, through a woman surnamed Huang, expressed its willingness to pay 3.5 million NTD to resolve public protests. Lin instructed Huang to mediate and handle the matter, signing a false engineering consulting commission contract, fabricating cost expenditure items, and producing false invoices to cover the flow of funds. The cash was later distributed to some protesting residents.
The judgment pointed out that another optoelectronics company visited Lin Che-ling in 2020, expressing the need for more assistance from the township office and concern about delays in construction permit procedures. Lin again used Huang as a middleman to solicit bribes. Eventually, both parties reached an agreement of 4 million NTD, and the cash was handed over to Lin.
The collegiate panel of the Yunlin District Court believed that although the township office had a hierarchical decision-making process, Lin Che-ling, as the township chief, had the ultimate decision-making power over township affairs. Especially after Lin met with representatives of the optoelectronics company, he received money through Huang, and the optoelectronics company successfully obtained construction permits and approval to start work. Therefore, a quid pro quo relationship was recognized. (Editors: Chang Ming-kun) 1150507
Choose to stand with facts; every sponsorship you provide is a force to protect press freedom.
Download the Central News Agency 'First-hand News' APP to instantly grasp the latest news.
The text, images, and videos on this website may not be reproduced, publicly broadcast, publicly transmitted, or used without authorization.