Former Taiwan Councilor Jan Ling-hsuan Jailed for 4 Years Over Fraud; Family Cites Rushed Imprisonment

Former Kuomintang (KMT) Taichung City Councilor Jan Ling-hsuan began serving a four-year prison sentence on the 20th for defrauding assistant subsidies.

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I didn't pocket a single penny, this is very targeted and very unfair to me.

Jan and her husband, Chiu Yu-ming, were found guilty of defrauding over 1.48 million NT dollars by falsely reporting dummy employees and inflating salaries. The Taichung High Court sentenced Jan to four years and stripped her of civil rights for three years, while Chiu received three years and eight months with two years of stripped civil rights. The Supreme Court rejected their appeal, finalizing the case.

Before her imprisonment, Jan stated on the 16th that no money entered her or her husband's pockets, calling the case highly targeted and unfair. Her family posted on Facebook late on the 23rd, expressing shock at the swiftness of the imprisonment. They received the Supreme Court's verdict notice only on the day of her surrender, having been notified by police just three days prior to report on the 20th. This tight schedule prevented them from completing necessary tasks, including obtaining medical records and arranging follow-up appointments after her cancer surgery.

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Today, early in the morning, we only received the Supreme Court's verdict notice, but Jan Ling-hsuan had already entered prison three days ago. On the 16th of this month, we received a police notification to report for execution on the 20th. Due to the extremely tight notification time, many necessary tasks could not be completed in time, including applying for medical records after cancer surgery and subsequent follow-up appointments.

The family acknowledged the judicial system's need for measures against flight risks but questioned whether the urgent execution method adequately considered Jan's basic rights and medical needs. They also raised concerns about public perception of judicial impartiality, given past controversies surrounding her 2022 election campaign. The family urged for a judicial system that not only upholds the law but also ensures procedural fairness and protects human rights.

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For someone who has always cooperated with the investigation and trial process, does such an urgent execution method still take into account the basic rights and medical needs of the party involved? This is a matter worth societal discussion.