Fri. Sep. 11 2009
Former Taiwanese President Chen Shui-bian has been sentenced 
to life in prison after he was convicted of corruption on Fr iday, marking a defining moment in the island's troubled political history.
Chen's wife was also convicted of corruption and she too will be serving a life term, according to Taipei court official Huang Chun-ming.
Huang said the couple was also fined NT $500 million (about $16.3 million CAD)
"Chen Shui-bian and Wu Shu-chen were sentenced to life in prison because Chen has done grave damage to the country, and Wu, because she was involved in corruption deals as the first lady," Huang told The Associated Press.
Hundreds of people held a protest outside the courtroom to show their support for Chen, holding flags and banners that proclaimed his innocence and asking the court to "free him."
Chen, 58, was found guilty of multiple counts of corruption by three judges in the Taipei District Court. He chose not to attend the proceedings, opting instead to stay in a suburban Taipei jail where he has been held since late December.
He was charged with:
- embezzling $3.15 million from a presidential fund
- receiving bribes worth $9 million in connection with a government land deal
- laundering money through Swiss bank accounts
- forging documents
Many Taiwanese believed that Chen was guilty of some level of corruption though his supporters remain convinced that Chen's views against China played a role in his prosecution and his jail term.
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