Former Vice Premier Cheng Wen-tsan Charged With Corruption
Taoyuan prosecutors have charged high-profile DPP politician Cheng Wen-tsan with bribery and corruption. Cheng spent 47 days in custody, and served as Taiwan's premier under former President Tsai Ing-wen.
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00:00After 47 days in police custody, Zheng Wencan of the ruling Democratic Progressive Party
00:05is now officially indicted on charges of bribery and corruption, relating to his time as mayor
00:10of Taoyuan, one of Taiwan's major metropolitan areas.
00:14Prosecutors say they've gathered enough evidence to secure charges against Zheng and 11 people
00:18involved, publishing 38 pages worth of evidence today.
00:22In early July, Zheng was accused of taking bribes worth over $150,000 U.S. dollars to
00:52a farmland rezoning scandal seven years ago. Prosecutors took him in for questioning, but
00:57he was initially granted bail by the district court. Zheng paid a bail sum of more than
01:02$370,000 U.S. dollars in the first two bail hearings, but prosecutors appealed multiple
01:08times, with a third judge ultimately ordering Zheng to be detained while prosecutors finished
01:13their investigation.
01:14The DPP politician was once seen as a potential successor to former President Tsai Ing-wen,
01:19serving as her vice premier. He then looks set to help guide relations with China under
01:24current President Lai Ching-te, before the scandal broke.
01:28With 96% of prosecutions leading to conviction in Taiwan, Zheng now has just a few months
01:33to prepare a defense and save his political career.
01:37Zhang Su and Irene Lin in Taoyuan for Taiwan Plus.