The trial of Ma Ying-jeou, former Taipei mayor, will begin on
April 3, Xinhua news agency reported, citing a Taipei local court
spokesman.
Taiwan prosecutors indicted Ma on charges of corruption on
February 13, accusing him of diverting 11 million New Taiwan
dollars (US$333,000) from Taipei's special allowance funds to his
private account during his tenure as Taipei mayor.
Ma immediately resigned as chairman of Taiwan's main opposition
party Kuomintang but declared for the first time that he would run
for the 2008 Taiwan leader election.
Taipei local prosecutors handed over files of Ma's case to the
local court yesterday, which has drawn lots to decide the chief
justice and magistrate.
(China Daily March 14, 2007)