Former Vice Premier Cheng Wen-tsan released on NT$28 million bail

Taipei/Taoyuan, Aug. 28 (CNA) — Former Vice Premier Cheng Wen-tsan (鄭文燦) was released on NT$28 million (US$877,380) bail in Taoyuan on Wednesday after being charged with corruption the previous day.

Cheng has been held incommunicado since his arrest by authorities in Taoyuan on July 11 following a court order.

According to prosecutors, the conditions of his release include that the former deputy prime minister must remain in his residence and not leave the country for eight months.

He is also prohibited from having any contact with witnesses or other defendants in the proceedings.

In addition to Cheng, four other suspects involved in the case were released on bail on Wednesday.

Hou Shui-wen (侯水文), former acting general manager of the Formosa Plastics Group, was released on NT$2.05 million bail, while Liao Chun-sung (廖俊松), former head of a planning committee for an industrial zone in Linkou, was released on NT$1.1 million bail.

Two of Liao's sons, Liao Chia-hsing (廖家興) and Liao Li-ting (廖力廷), were also released on bail of NT$600,000 and NT$250,000 respectively.

At a press conference on Tuesday, the Taoyuan District Prosecutor's Office recommended a 12-year prison sentence for Cheng on charges that he accepted NT$5 million (US$156,678) in bribes to broker an industrial development project at the city's Hwa Ya Technology Park during his tenure as Taoyuan mayor.

After the arraignment on Tuesday, the case was transferred to the Taoyuan District Court, which held a hearing at 9:30 p.m. the same day.

At 1:30 a.m., the court ruled that Cheng would be granted bail of NT$28 million, the highest bail imposed on a politician in recent years.

A lawyer representing Cheng brought the bail money at around 2:41 a.m., and the visibly tired former vice premier left court at around 5 a.m. without speaking to reporters.

The embattled former deputy prime minister is also being investigated in another case after a prosecutor's search on July 29 uncovered N$6.78 million in cash at his Taipei residence.

Cheng, 57, served as vice premier from January 31, 2023 to May 20, 2024, during Tsai Ing-wen's (蔡英文) second term as president. He previously served as the first mayor of the newly established Taoyuan Special Municipality from 2014 to 2022.