TAIPEI (Taiwan News) – The Constitutional Court said Saturday it would not review the constitutionality of a corruption case involving suspended Hsinchu Mayor Kao Hung-an (高虹安) and her alleged embezzlement of legislative aide payments.

The Taipei District Court found the TPP politician guilty of misusing the payments during her term as a lawmaker between 2020 and 2022 and sentenced her to seven years and four months in prison. 

However, the Taiwan High Court suspended its review of the case in January to request an opinion from the Constitutional Court because the law does not mention the legal consequences of breaking expenses rules.

The Constitutional Court said Saturday the request did not meet the conditions posed by Article 55 of the Constitutional Court Procedure Act, so it would have to turn the case down. The decision means the Taiwan High Court can resume its review of the appeals against Kao’s sentence, the Liberty Times reported.

Numerous cases involving the payment of aides and the alleged embezzlement of those funds by elected representatives have taken place, but Kao’s case was the first involving a member of the Legislative Yuan. The Taiwan High Court reportedly feared that going ahead with a potentially unconstitutional review would affect hundreds of present and former legislators and thousands of aides.