Statement | Years of Injustice Addressed as Prosecutor Files for Retrial in Hopes of Restoring Wang Lung-ch'ang's Innocence

Today, the Review Committee for Finalized Conviction Cases of the Taiwan High Prosecutors Office issued a letter stating that the wrongful conviction involving Wang Lung-ch'ang warrants a retrial. In response, the JRF volunteer legal team issues the following statement:

1. Replacing Adversarialism with Cooperation in Hopes of Vindicating Wang Lung-ch'ang!

In 2017, the Ministry of Justice embraced the spirit of the conviction integrity unit and officially promulgated the "Directions for Prosecutor Offices in Handling Finalized Conviction Cases," enabling the prosecutorial system to re-examine finalized judgments for potential miscarriages of justice. The establishment of the Review Committee for Finalized Conviction Cases signifies the prosecution's zero-tolerance attitude toward wrongful convictions and embodies a miscarriage-of-justice rescue model featuring "cooperation instead of confrontation" between prosecutors and defense counsel.

In 2003, while serving as a professor at the Institute of Civil and Disaster Management at Taipei National University of Technology, Wang Lung-ch'ang was appointed as one of the 17 evaluation committee members for the Nangang Exhibition Center construction project, which the 17 members resolved to award to Lien-to Corporation. During its investigation in 2008, the Special Investigation Division concluded that Lien-to Corporation had obtained the list of committee members prior to the bidding and had bribed eight committee members, including Wang Lung-ch'ang. In 2009, the Taipei District Court convicted Wang Lung-ch'ang of accepting bribes in breach of official duties, sentencing him to 7 years and 8 months in prison. In 2012, the Supreme Court dismissed Wang Lung-ch'ang's appeal, finalizing the conviction.

However, numerous doubts surround this case. Aside from the complete absence of physical evidence to prove that Wang Lung-ch'ang accepted bribes, the sole tainted witness—Huang Wei-an, special assistant to the chairman of Lien-to Corporation—testified that he had bribed Wang Lung-ch'ang, yet his testimony was self-contradictory and inconsistent, repeatedly refuted by concrete evidence submitted by Wang Lung-ch'ang. In 2013, investigation findings by the Control Yuan pointed out the suspicious aspects of the case, and in 2015, the Prosecutor-General even filed an extraordinary appeal. Regrettably, the Supreme Court dismissed the extraordinary appeal as well.

In 2019, the JRF volunteer legal team petitioned the High Prosecutors Office to review the finalized conviction, and today received a letter from the High Prosecutors Office stating that it has filed a motion for a retrial with the Taiwan High Court regarding this case. Wang Lung-ch'ang and the legal team feel greatly relieved and grateful, and they hope that the spirit of this system will continue to be upheld, giving those who have suffered injustices an opportunity for vindication.

2. The Legal Team Will Also File for a Retrial and Continue Fighting for Judicial Justice!

Because of this case, Wang Lung-ch'ang had to leave Taipei Tech after 39 years of teaching, and all his previous policy research on national public infrastructure was abruptly halted. This not only severely damaged his personal reputation and innocence but also caused immense losses to the construction and development of the entire nation and society. Even though Wang Lung-ch'ang has now completed his prison sentence, returned to teach at Taipei Tech, and was even awarded the Award for Outstanding Contribution in 2020, gradually restoring his social life, the lost time can never be recovered. Wang Lung-ch'ang's deepest aspiration remains for the misjudging judiciary to admit its mistake and restore his innocence.

The legal team will also file a motion for a retrial and continue to strive for judicial justice and Wang Lung-ch'ang's innocence throughout the retrial court proceedings.

Media Contact

Chang Hua-che, Deputy Director of Case Action Department, Judicial Reform Foundation
Email: ven@jrf.org.tw
Phone: 02-25231178#22