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 bail of NT$28 million (US$877,380) in Taoyuan on Wednesday after being indicted on corruption charges the day before.

Cheng had been held incommunicado since he was detained by authorities in Taoyuan based on a court order on July 11.

As part of the conditions of his release, the former vice premier is required to remain at his residence and is not allowed to leave the country for eight months, prosecutors said.

He is also forbidden from making contact with witnesses or other defendants in the case.

In addition to Cheng, four other suspects involved in the case who had been detained were also released on bail on Wednesday.

Hou Shui-wen (侯水文), former executive general manager of Formosa Plastics Group, was released on NT$2.05 million bail, while Liao Chun-sung (廖俊松), former head of an industrial zone planning committee 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 news conference on Tuesday, the Taoyuan District Prosecutors Office recommended a 12-year jail sentence for Cheng for allegedly receiving a NT$5 million (US$156,678) bribe while serving as Taoyuan mayor to broker an industrial development project in the city's Hwa Ya Technology Park.

Following Tuesday's indictments, 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 be granted bail of NT$28 million, the highest bail amount given to any political figure 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 the court without speaking to reporters at around 5 a.m.

The beleaguered former vice premier is also under investigation in a separate case, after N$6.78 million in cash was discovered at his Taipei residence during a search by prosecutors on July 29.

Cheng, 57, served as vice premier from Jan. 31, 2023 to May 20, 2024, during Tsai Ing-wen's (蔡英文) second term as president. Before that, he was the first mayor of the newly established Taoyuan special municipality from 2014 to 2022.