TAIPEI: The Supreme Court yesterday instructed a lower court to reconsider its ruling that former leader Chen Shui-bian should be held in custody for another three months, a Supreme Court spokesman said.

Both Chen and his wife Wu Shu-jen were sentenced September 11 to life in prison and fined NT$200 million ($6.13 million) and NT$300 million ($9.2 million), respectively, on several counts of corruption, including embezzling from a "presidential" fund, taking bribes from local businessmen and money laundering.

The Taiwan High Court panel took charge of Chen's case on September 24 after he appealed the judgment, and later ruled that day that Chen should remain in custody for another three months. It cited the reasons that "there is evidence showing that Chen has tried to hide his ill-gotten gains abroad and, as a former president, he is more familiar with ways to flee than ordinary people, and thus the possibility exists that he would do so."

However, the Supreme Court said that the High Court ruling cannot stand because it "failed to clearly identify the facts that it cited as evidence to support Chen's continued detention."

On September 25, Chen appealed to the Supreme Court against the High Court's ruling on his continued detention.

The former leader was first detained November 12 last year and was released December 13 following his indictment on charges of embezzlement, corruption and money laundering.

He was detained again December 30 after the Taipei District Court approved a request by prosecutors to take him back into custody and he has not been released since.

China Daily/CNA

(HK Edition 10/09/2009 page2)