Sentenced to 7 Years and 10 Months for Corruption, Yen Kuan-heng Fails to Lift Travel Restrictions

Taiwanese lawmaker Yen Kuan-heng says he has been wrongfully convicted. The Taichung High Court, however, has rejected his request to lift restrictions on leaving Taiwan while his corruption case returns to trial.

Yen was convicted in the first two court instances and sentenced to seven years and 10 months in prison, along with a three-year deprivation of civil rights. Prosecutors accused him of using a nominal assistant during his 2018 to 2019 legislative term to claim more than NT$1.08 million in salaries and year-end bonuses. The money was allegedly used for a vehicle, health insurance payments and housing-related expenses.

The Supreme Court overturned the earlier judgment at the end of May and ordered a retrial at the Taichung High Court. It said questions remained about whether the nominal assistant had actually performed assistant duties, as well as about witness testimony, activity photographs and LINE messages. The court also said the admissibility of questioning conducted by prosecutors’ judicial police officers and Yen’s statements required further clarification.

Yen argued that he had cooperated with the legal process and had not evaded proceedings. He said the case lacked direct evidence and that the presumption of innocence should protect his basic right to travel until a final conviction. “I did not commit a crime. I was wrongfully accused,” he said.

The Taichung High Court ruled that the restrictions should remain in place. It said Yen’s sentence for corruption involved a serious punishment and a high risk of flight, while appearing at hearings did not necessarily show that he would return after leaving Taiwan. The court cited the public interest in ensuring the retrial and any later enforcement of punishment.

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I was wrongfully accused.