A borough chief in Kaohsiung accused of extorting factory operators wanted to travel abroad, but the court was unconvinced, extending travel and maritime departure restrictions on him and a second defendant by eight months — good news for the prosecution, but a setback for the defendants.

• Chiang Fu-shan, chief of Weihsin Borough in Kaohsiung's Yongan District, and Chang Tsai-hua, former chairman of the Wenhsing Temple management committee, are accused of using their local positions to extort operators at an industrial park, facing serious corruption charges that carry a minimum sentence of ten years.
• The two were released on bail in January this year but barred from leaving the country or its waters. As the restriction neared expiry, Chiang Fu-shan applied to have it lifted, citing the need to travel abroad for study visits and exchanges in his capacity as borough chief.
• Prosecutors allege the pair used temple pilgrimage fundraising as a pretext, threatening operators that if they did not cooperate, residents would be mobilised to protest or agencies would be brought in for joint inspections and fines. The sums demanded ranged from NT$50,000 to NT$500,000.
• The judge found that both men have considerable financial resources and standing in the local community, and that although they have admitted the objective facts, they deny wrongdoing — making the possibility of fleeing abroad difficult to rule out.

Outlook: The Ciaotou District Court has ruled that the restrictions on leaving the country and its waters will be extended for a further eight months from 22 September, with proceedings in the case set to continue.