TAIPEI (TVBS News) — The Taiwan High Court (台灣高等法院) upheld a previous not guilty verdict for former President Ma Ying-jeou (馬英九) and associates in a high-profile case involving allegations of illicit transactions related to the Kuomintang's (國民黨) assets. On Wednesday (Dec. 31), the court dismissed the prosecution's appeal, maintaining the Taipei District Court's (台北地方法院) initial judgment from Oct. 27, 2021, citing insufficient evidence against Ma.
The High Prosecutors Office (高檢署) plans to consider further appeals. They accused Ma and others of causing a loss of over NT$7.2 billion through the sale of undervalued and irregular assets. Ma's office expressed gratitude for the judicial process, emphasizing the fairness of the trial. Ma criticized the Democratic Progressive Party (民進黨) for what he described as a decade-long political vendetta, urging society to oppose such tactics.
In a related ruling, the court modified the sentence of former Central Pictures Corporation Chairman Tsai Cheng-yuan (蔡正元). Although the court adjusted the confiscation amount, it upheld Tsai's conviction, sentencing him to three years and six months for embezzlement. Tsai faced charges for allegedly misappropriating NT$280 million from the Apollo Company. Meanwhile, Tsai's wife, Hung Ling-ying (洪菱霙), and her father, Hung Hsin-hang (洪信行), were acquitted.