A magistrate of the eastern Taiwanese county of Taitung yesterday lost his new title immediately after he was sworn in to the post, becoming the shortest-serving local-government head in Taiwan's history.
'I hereby pledge to follow the law and dutifully serve my term,' declared Wu Chun-li as he raised his arm to take the oath during a ceremony attended by hundreds of his supporters.
But the minute he put down his hand, he was stripped of the post for his alleged involvement in a corruption scandal during his term as deputy speaker of the Taitung County Council.
'According to the election law, those who have been convicted of corruption and other serious crimes will be suspended of their elected posts even if they win in the elections,' Vice-Minister of the Interior Chang Wen-ying said.
Wu, who won the Taitung magistrate election during December 3 local-government polls, was convicted and sentenced to 16 years in prison during the first trial in 2002. His sentence was subsequently reduced to seven years. But he appealed and the Supreme Court ordered a retrial.
Ms Chang said the incumbent secretary-general of the Taitung county government would be the acting magistrate until a by-election was held.
