The second trial of the Taipei Prison Corruption Case was pronounced and Su Qingjun, Wang Linglin and others were all acquitted.

Wang Linglin took advantage of the opportunity of his association to run multimedia creation classes and co-produce corrective microfilms in the North Prison. Through his secretary Hu Xiaojing, he bribed Su Qingjun and the supervisor and administrator of the North Prison with scallops, tea, SKII gift boxes, steaks, hot spring hotel accommodation vouchers, etc., so that he could enjoy privileged treatment in prison. (File photo)

A corruption case broke out 11 years ago among officials at Taipei Prison and other prisons. When Su Qingjun, the former warden of Green Island Prison, and other prison officials worked at Taipei Prison, they were accused of accepting bribes and helping inmates enjoy privileges in prison, including giving special interviews and entrapment on behalf of the gangster "Qiao". He brought contraband and even secretly helped Dongsen Group President Wang Linglin approve company documents in prison. In January 2015, prosecutors indicted 23 people for accepting and offering bribes in violation of their duties. In the first instance, Su Qingjun was sentenced to 16 years in prison and Wang Linglin was sentenced to 2 years in February. After the case was appealed, the High Court today pronounced that Su Qingjun, Wang Linglin and others were not guilty.

The first-instance verdict pointed out that Su Qingjun and other prison officers, who had been in prison positions for a long time, actually accepted extravagant banquets and improper gifts, allowing specific inmates to enjoy special treatment that ordinary inmates did not have, destroying the trustworthiness of civil servants in law enforcement, and seriously damaging the management order of the prison. Su Qingjun always pleaded not guilty. Zu Xinghua, a former clerk at the North Prison, and Zhao Chongzhi, the former deputy warden of Taichung Prison, confessed during the investigation but recanted their confessions during the trial. They were both sentenced to more than 10 years.

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Su Qingjun accepted bribes when he was the deputy warden of the North Prison, and used his power to allow Wang Linglin to enjoy official documents and other courtesy. He also accepted shark fin banquets from underworld figures such as Chi Yonglin and Luo Weide outside. He also accepted hairy crabs, red envelopes, etc. for a long time, and took care of Chi Nan's younger brother. The Taipei District Prosecutor's Office indicted 23 people in January 2015. The whole case was tried for more than four years, with five presiding judges, three appointed judges, and five public prosecutors. The verdict was not announced until October 10, 2019.

The North Court of First Instance sentenced Zhao Chongzhi, the former deputy warden of Taichung Prison, to 11 years in August, the former chief administrator Zhou Bingrong to 6 years in October, the former clerk Zu Xinghua to 11 years, and the former administrator Zhang Wenfa to 8 years in June. The former warden of Yilan Prison, Wu Zaiwei, and the former secretary of Taipei Detention Center, Ke Shuyu, and Ke's wife Wu Peiyu, were acquitted. Twelve gangsters, including Chi Yonglin (renamed Chi Yaoting), Luo Weide, and Gao Baosheng, who bribed prison officials, were each sentenced to 1 year and 2 months to 2 years and 6 months. One person died and the prosecution was not accepted; Wang Linglin and his secretary Hu Xiaojing were each sentenced to 2 years and 2 months.

After the case was appealed, the High Court today pronounced that Su Qingjun, Zhao Chongzhi, Zu Xinghua, Wang Linglin, Hu Xiaojing, Chi Yaoting, and Luo Weide were not guilty.

Su Qingjun, the former warden of Green Island Prison, once served as the deputy warden of Taipei Prison. He used the power of the former chief to assist the imprisoned Dongsen Group CEO Wang Linglin in handling interviews and parole applications. (File photo)