Taiwan court exonerates former president on embezzlement charge
By APTuesday, June 8, 2010
Taiwan’s Chen acquitted on embezzlement charge
TAIPEI, Taiwan — A Taiwan court has acquitted the island’s imprisoned former president of embezzling from a special diplomatic fund.
In Tuesday’s ruling, the Taipei District Court says prosecutors failed to provide evidence that Chen Shui-bian gave $330,000 to son Chen Chih-chung while he was studying in the United States.
Chen served as Taiwan’s president from 2000 to 2008.
In September 2009 he was convicted of embezzling $3.15 million from another fund, receiving bribes worth at least $9 million, and laundering some of the money through Swiss bank accounts.
Chen was sentenced to life imprisonment in that case. He is currently appealing.
He has been detained in a suburban Taipei jail since December 2008.
