TAIPEI (Taiwan News) – Yilan County chief Lin Tzu-miao (林姿妙) will face suspension after she was found guilty of corruption Tuesday and sentenced to 12 years and six months in prison.

The allegations centered on irregularities connected to land in Luodong Township, where the Kuomintang politician served as mayor before being elected county leader in 2018. She allegedly helped a landowner obtain tax exemptions in return for offering his land for her election campaign headquarters.

Bank accounts linked to Lin also showed NT$78.44 million (US$2 million) in unexplained funds, giving rise to accusations of money laundering. The 15 individuals indicted in the cases included 10 government officials and several land owners, as well as Lin’s daughter, the Liberty Times reported.

As the case came out in 2022, the county chief pleaded not guilty to all accusations, saying the government wanted to derail her re-election bid. Appeals against the verdict by the Yilan District Court are possible.