Yilan County Magistrate Lin Zimiao, a member of the Kuomintang, was involved in corruption and was sentenced to 12-6 months in the first instance and deprived of public rights for 6 years; her daughter Lin Yiling was sentenced to 3 years and 6 months in prison and deprived of public rights for 3 years. The High Court held today. The mother and daughter still maintained their innocence. Lin Yiling emphasized that her mother was an atypical candidate and was not very smart. She also said that her mother did not support the former Yilan County magistrate Lu Guohua and the presidential candidate Han Guoyu who were elected to the Legislature. She criticized the first instance for piecing together things and finding completely false facts, and questioned the political factors involved in the case.
Lin Zhimiao was accused of intervening with her daughter Lin Yiling and others in the land tax exemption case of land number 1558 in Luodong, instructing county officials to help the landowner avoid paying land tax increases of more than 1.12 million yuan in exchange for free use of land number 98. As a candidate for the 2020 Blue Camp election, she received NT$2.4 million in improper benefits, and both mother and daughter were sentenced for profiteering. Lin Zimiao was also convicted of special money laundering and unknown source of property due to abnormal cash flow of NT$32.5 million.
The prosecutors prosecuted 15 people in this case, and 14 of them, including Lin Zhimiao, appealed. The Yilan District Court found that Lin Zhimiao had insufficient evidence of accepting bribes, but the evidence of profiteering was clear. The crime of profiteering was sentenced to 7 years in prison and deprivation of public rights for 6 years; As for her daughter Lin Yiling, she was sentenced to three years in June for corruption and was deprived of public power for three years.
Lin Zhimiao and Lin Yiling both appeared in court this afternoon and entered not guilty pleas. Lin Zhimiao said that the court is a place of justice and the blame cannot be pinned on her. She emphasized that she had not committed any crime.
The prosecutor pointed out that Wu Chaoqin testified in the detention court that Lin Zhimiao knew that there would be difficulties in not imposing taxes, so she convened an inter-bureau meeting to discuss it, and that Lin Yiling had substantial influence and jointly handled the false earthwork removal certificate. The case was unfair and the official policy was corrupted.
One of the keys to Lin Yiling's conviction was a phone call made by Luodong Town Mayor Wu Qiuling complaining about Wu Chaoqin. Wu Qiuling talked to Lin Yiling on the phone about the case. Lin Yiling claimed that the content of the call with Wu Qiuling was that she only listened to Wu Qiuling complaining about Wu Chaoqin. Lin Yiling also said that former Kuomintang legislator Yang Jixiong hoped that Lin Zimiao could organize events to support former Yilan county magistrate Lu Guohua and presidential candidate Han Guoyu, but her mother declined because the budget also had to pass the parliament. She emphasized: "My mother did not support Lu Guohua and Han Guoyu."
Lin Yiling said that she later went through the process of paying off her debt. If it was money laundering, why did she have to go through it? The world is really unfair. The first-instance judge and prosecutor pieced together the facts of the case, which are completely untrue. "My mother is an atypical candidate and not very smart." Her father passed away when her mother was 38 years old. She only fulfilled her father's last wish to take care of her mother and look after her mother. The outside world always thought that she wanted to take over for her mother, but in fact she didn't want to at all. She also lamented that if the case did not involve political factors, it would highlight its absurdity.
Lin Yiling's defense lawyer Guo Meichun said that there was a lack of evidence in every aspect of Lin Yiling's prosecution. The relevant testimonies of Wu Chaoqin and other witnesses were under pressure from the integrity officials, and there was a risk of unfair interrogation.
The presiding judge announced at the end that the debate will continue at 9:40 a.m. on the 21st.
