David Chou Explained

David Chou
Chou Po-lun
Native Name Lang:zh-tw
Honorific-Suffix:MLY
Smallimage:David Chou Po-lun 周伯倫.jpg
Order:Member of the Legislative Yuan
Constituency:Taipei County 1
Term Start:1 February 1993
Term End:30 January 2003
Constituency1:Taipei County
Term Start1:1 February 1993
Term End1:31 January 1999
Order2:Member of the Taipei City Council
Term Start2:25 December 1986
Term End2:31 January 1993
Birth Date:1954 11, df=yes
Birth Place:Taipei, Taiwan
Party:Democratic Progressive Party
Nationality:Taiwanese
Alma Mater:Soochow University
Occupation:politician

David Chou (; born 13 November 1954) is a Taiwanese politician. He served on the Taipei City Council from 1986 to 1993, when he was seated to the Legislative Yuan. Chou resigned in 2003, after being convicted on charges of bribery. He was sentenced to six years imprisonment and paroled in 2005.

Education

Chou earned a bachelor's degree in law from Soochow University.[1]

Political career

Chou worked as Chen Shui-bian's legislative assistant from 1982 to 1985, and managed the successful 1986 electoral bid of Chen's wife Wu Shu-chen.[2] He served in many high-ranking positions within the Democratic Progressive Party and was a member of the Taipei City Council for two terms prior to his 1992 election to the Legislative Yuan.[3] Within the DPP, Chou belonged to the New Era Institute faction.[4] Chou was opposed to the selection of Annette Lu as Chen Shui-bian's running mate for the 2000 presidential elections.[5] During a portion of Chou's third legislative term, he served as DPP caucus convenor.[6]

Controversy

Legal proceedings against Chou began in 1988, when Chen Sheng-hung accused Chou of taking NT$16 million in bribes from Chiaofu Construction Corporation.[7] The case was appealed to the Supreme Court in 2003, which refused to hear the case, upholding a guilty verdict issued by the Taiwan High Court.[8] The Supreme Court additionally placed travel restrictions on Chou to prevent him from leaving Taiwan.[9] He resigned from the Legislative Yuan following the Supreme Court decision.[10] Chou began serving his six-year prison sentence at Hualien Prison in February 2003.[11] Chou's first application for parole was rejected in January 2005.[12] [13] Weeks later, a second application was submitted, and subsequently approved in June 2005.[14]

Notes and References

  1. News: Chou Po-lun (3). 11 July 2017. Legislative Yuan.
  2. News: Chou Po-lun (5). 11 July 2017. Legislative Yuan.
  3. News: Chou Po-lun (4). 11 July 2017. Legislative Yuan.
  4. News: Lin. Chieh-yu. Chen's choice for VP runs into factional hot water. 11 July 2017. Taipei Times. 16 September 1999.
  5. News: Lin. Chieh-yu. Chen Shui-bian sets sights firmly on Annette Lu. 11 July 2017. Taipei Times. 18 September 1999.
  6. News: Low. Stephanie. KMT thwarts DPP's anti-graft measures. 11 July 2017. Taipei Times. 15 March 2001.
  7. News: Ko. Shu-ling. Jail sentence puts crimp in Chou's political career. 11 July 2017. Taipei Times. 10 February 2003.
  8. News: Hsu. Crystal. Court turns down DPP lawmaker's request for appeal. 11 July 2017. Taipei Times. 30 January 2003.
  9. News: Chou barred from leaving. 11 July 2017. Taipei Times. 31 January 2003.
  10. News: Chuang. Jimmy. Chou must serve sentence. 11 July 2017. Taipei Times. 13 February 2003.
  11. News: Chuang. Jimmy. Chou Po-lun promises to return in preparation for sentence in Hualien. 11 July 2017. Taipei Times. 17 February 2003.
  12. News: Chou up for parole. 11 July 2017. Taipei Times. 25 January 2005.
  13. News: No parole for dirty official. 11 July 2017. Taipei Times. 27 January 2005.
  14. News: Chang. Rich. No string-pulling in former councilor's release, MOJ says. 11 July 2017. Taipei Times. 7 June 2005.