Xie Zailang, the former section chief of Touxian County Agriculture Department, was involved in 30 corruption crimes and was sentenced to 6 years in prison. The appeal was rejected at the second instance.

Xie Zailang, the former head of the Animal Husbandry and Epidemic Prevention Section of the Nantou County Agricultural Department, was involved in corruption. He was sentenced to 6 years in prison for 30 crimes in the first instance. His appeal to the second instance was rejected by the Taichung High Court today.

Xie Zailang, a skilled technician from the Nantou County Agricultural Department, was responsible for the permitted use of livestock facilities, registration of livestock farms and review of livestock and poultry breeding registration certificates in Nantou County when he was the head of the livestock epidemic prevention section. However, he accepted a total of more than 4.19 million yuan in bribes from multiple livestock and poultry farms in the county whose registration certificates had expired to allow them to extend their licenses. Xie Nan was sentenced by the Nantou District Court for the crimes of accepting bribes without violating official duties and making profits under the Corruption Crime Ordinance. A total of 30 crimes were combined and he should be sentenced to 6 years in prison and deprived of public power for 4 years. Xie Nan appealed to the second instance, and the Taichung High Court today ruled against it.

The judgment pointed out that since 2015, Xie Zailang had extended the license for the livestock and poultry breeding registration certificates of many livestock and poultry farms in Nantou County to avoid penalties. In addition, after receiving bribes from the business operators, they illegally extended the "Livestock and Poultry Breeding Registration Certificate" or assisted in expediting the application for the "Livestock Farm Registration Certificate".

In addition, Xie Nan users who set up new livestock farms must first obtain the "Agricultural Land for Agricultural (Animal Husbandry) Facilities Allowed Use Consent" and submit it to the competent authority for inspection together with the environmental protection authority. After passing the inspection, a "Livestock Farm Registration Certificate" will be issued. However, on the basis of not violating the official intention of accepting bribes, Xie Nan assisted the livestock farm to pass the review and issue the "Agricultural Land for Agricultural (Livestock) Facilities Allowed Use Consent" and "Livestock Farm Registration Certificate", and received the amount as consideration.

In order for the agent surnamed Li to successfully pass the review and expedite the acquisition of the "Livestock and Poultry Breeding Registration Certificate", the "Agricultural Land for Agricultural (Animal Husbandry) Facilities Permit Use Agreement" and the "Livestock Farm Registration Certificate", the agent surnamed Li paid bribes to Xie Zailang.

The first trial found 30 crimes in total, including the crime of accepting bribes by civil servants in violation of their duties, the crime of civil servants taking advantage of their supervisory affairs, and the crime of accepting bribes without violating their duties. Xie Nan was sentenced to 6 years in prison and deprived of public power for 4 years. Xie Nan believed that the sentence was too severe and appealed to the second instance. The Taichung High Court announced the verdict today and rejected the verdict. The 6-year prison sentence was still maintained and can be appealed.