Former Taiwan leader sentenced to more jail time

TAIPEI, Dec. 20 (Xinhua) -- Former Taiwan leader Chen Shui-bian on Thursday was sentenced to 10 years in prison in another graft case. He will face a combined sentence of 20 years in prison.

Taiwan's "supreme court" on Thursday published its verdict on another graft case involving Chen, saying Chen and his wife Wu Shu-chen jointly committed the crime of embezzlement.

The court upheld the verdict in the second trial, sentencing Chen to 10 years in prison, fining him a total of 100 million New Taiwan dollars (3.45 million U.S. dollars) and depriving him of his political rights for eight years.

Wu was sentenced to eight years in prison, fined 80 million New Taiwan dollars and deprived of her political rights for seven years. The 200 million New Taiwan dollars that the couple gained from embezzlement will be confiscated.

The couple has been charged with requesting bribes and laundering money in some mergers and acquisitions of Taiwanese financial institutions.

In 2010, Chen was sentenced to 18-and-a-half years in prison in another graft case involving land purchases. Legal experts say the couple's combined sentence will be changed if they are sentenced to life imprisonment in the final judgment.

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