Taipei - A Taiwan court on Friday sentenced ex-president Chen Shui-bian to life in prison for corruption in a widely watched case dubbed by local media as Taiwan's trial of the century. It also sentenced Chen's wife, Wu Shu-chen, to life for the same charges in the landmark trial, which marked the first time in Taiwan's history that a former presidential couple were slapped with such a stiff penalty.
Chen, 58, who was president from 2000 to 2008, and wheelchair-bound Wu were charged in December with embezzling 2.97 million US dollars in state funds, accepting 14 million US dollars in bribes as well as money laundering, influence peddling, extortion and document forgery during his stint as president.
The high-profile graft scandal has gripped Taiwan for more than two years. It saw the downfall of Chen, once a political star and mayor of Taipei, and the subsequent defeat of his pro-independence Democratic Progressive Party (DPP) in last year's parliamentary and presidential elections.
Other family members were implicated in the scandal as well. Judge Tsai Shou-hsin on Friday also sentenced Chen's son, Chen Chih-chung, to 30 months for helping his parents launder money abroad.
Chen Shui-bian's daughter-in-law, Huang Jui-ching, was sentenced to 20 months, suspended for five years, on the same money-laundering charges.
"In addition to the sentences, the defendant Chen Shui-bian was fined 200 million Taiwan dollars [6.09 million US dollars] and stripped of his civil rights for life while the defendant Wu Shu-chen was also slapped with a fine of 300 million Taiwan dollars and revocation of her civil rights for life," court spokesman Huang Chun-ming said.
The spokesman said the son and daughter-in-law were also ordered to pay 150 million Taiwan dollars in fines.
Chen Shui-bian's brother-in-law, Wu Ching-mao, and sister-in-law, Chen Chun-ying, were each given two years, suspended for five years, for helping in the money laundering.
"Their sentences were suspended because they admitted guilt for money laundering," the spokesman said.
The court also sentenced six others - two former aides for Chen Shui-bian, three businessmen and a former science park director - to jail terms ranging from three months to 20 years.
A third aide, Chen Cheng-hui, was sparred after she cooperated with prosecutors by revealing how she kept the books for all the funds for the former first family, Huang said.
Dozens of Chen Shui-bian's supporters demonstrated outside the courthouse, claiming the former president and his family are innocent and the sentences politically motivated.
The protesters shouted, "Innocent!" and "Unfair trial!" One demonstrator passed out from emotional stress.
Chen Shui-bian, who has been held at the Taipei Detention Centre since December, had denied the charges against him and said his detention and trial amounted to political persecution for his pro-independence stance by the administration of President Ma Ying-jeou from the China-friendly Chinese Nationalist Party.
Chen Shui-bian and his family were expected to appeal to the high court. It was not yet clear whether the district court would release Chen Shui-bian on bail pending the appeal.
DPP chairwoman Tsai Ing-wen said Friday that while she respected the ruling made by the court, the judicial authorities must release Chen Shui-bian to allow him to freely handle his appeal in line with human rights.
Chen Shui-bian's office and other DPP lawmakers, however, cried foul, saying the trial was unfair and that the sentences were too harsh. They said they would not rule out staging protests against Ma's government, which they believed was behind the harsh sentences.
The Presidential Office declined to comment on the sentences, saying it respected the court's decision.
