Ex-Taoyuan Mayor Cheng Wen-tsan Faces Bribery Trial Over Land Deal

A bribery trial involving former Taoyuan Mayor Cheng Wen-tsan continued with court proceedings focused on a controversial land development deal. Cheng is accused of accepting a $5 million bribe in exchange for facilitating the rezoning of agricultural land for the Huaya Technology Park expansion during his tenure.

The Taoyuan District Court heard testimony from key figures involved in the project's approval process. On the day of the proceedings, the court summoned Ou Cheng-yi, who served as the chief of the Comprehensive Planning Section of the Taoyuan City Government's Urban Development Bureau. Ou's testimony centered on a meeting chaired by Cheng in September 2017, detailing the urban planning discussions and subsequent administrative actions.

Further testimony was expected from Lu Wei-ping, the former director of the Urban Development Bureau. Lu's role and decisions are anticipated to be a focal point for both the prosecution and the defense. The core of the legal battle lies in establishing whether the $5 million exchanged was a bribe directly linked to the rezoning of 9.12 hectares of agricultural land, as alleged by prosecutors.

The defense team has been rigorously questioning witnesses, aiming to clarify the sequence of events and the nature of the decisions made. The prosecution's objective is to prove a direct quid pro quo, demonstrating that Cheng allegedly used his influence to approve the rezoning in exchange for the substantial bribe. The trial's progression hinges on dissecting the administrative procedures and proving the alleged illicit connection between the former mayor and the land developer.