A medical team is conducting an evaluation of former President Chen Shui-bian’s health. The team will then make a recommendation about whether Chen should be granted medical parole.
Chen is currently serving a 20-year prison term for corruption. He is said to be in declining health.
After serving more than six years in prison, Chen applied for medical parole for the first time in June of this year. But the Ministry of Justice rejected his plea. Taiwan’s high court then rejected an appeal saying that the former president should file for administrative litigation instead.
Recent reports had speculated on whether the president could be released by Christmas. But Deputy Justice Minister Chen Ming-tang said Monday that it was unlikely that the medical team’s evaluation of the former president’s health would be ready by Christmas.
As to the nature and amount of time needed for the medical evaluation, the deputy minister said it was up to the medical team, and that the ministry would respect their decisions. He said there was no timetable for completing the report.