A Taiwanese property tycoon is on trial for allegedly selling land to his own company at an inflated price, a bad turn for Shen Ching-ching and his Wei Ching Group.

• Prosecutors say Shen sold the Core Pacific City land to a company he controlled for far more than it was worth, pocketing an extra NT$7.2 billion.
• He and 12 others were charged in May with non-arm's-length dealing under securities law; prosecutors want 26 years in prison and over NT$3.1 billion seized.
• The land was put up for tender three times after the mall shut in 2018, then bought in 2019 by a subsidiary of his own group at well above the market value of the day.
• His finance manager is accused of helping hide where the money went.
• Shen arrived at court walking on his own, climbing the stairs without the wheelchair or crutches he used during last year's Core Pacific bribery trial, and told reporters his health is "steady for now."

Outlook: The court is still at the preparatory stage, sorting out pleas and evidence, so the real fight over the land's true value is yet to come.