TAIPEI (Taiwan News) — The Taipei District Prosecutors Office is filing an appeal against the acquittal of former President Ma Ying-jeou (馬英九) for the sale of three Kuomintang (KMT) companies to the private sector, reports said Friday (Dec. 10).

As chairman of the KMT in 2006, Ma sold off the Central Motion Picture Corporation (CMPC), the radio station Broadcasting Corporation of China (BCC), and the television station China Television Company (CTV). On Oct. 27, the Taipei District Court found him and two KMT business executives not guilty of having sold the companies at prices below market value, causing the then-opposition party a loss of NT$7.2 billion (US$259.61 million).

Prosecutors did not agree with the district court verdict, which said they had not provided sufficient evidence against the KMT officials, CNA reported. The appeals, filed on Nov. 24 and Dec. 10, also covered former KMT Legislator Alex Tsai (蔡正元).

Tsai's wife and her father were found not guilty. However, Tsai was sentenced to three years and six months in prison for his financial dealings during his period as chairman of CMPC.