A Taiwanese lawmaker convicted of pocketing public money for a fake assistant has been blocked from leaving the country while his retrial goes on — bad news for him, a win for prosecutors.

• KMT legislator Yen Kuan-heng was sentenced to 7 years and 10 months for fraudulently claiming a staff salary that went to a person who did no work.
• The money, more than a million Taiwan dollars, went toward a car, health insurance fees and home costs.
• Taiwan's Supreme Court threw out the verdict in May and sent the case back for a retrial, saying the evidence needed more work.
• Yen says he is innocent and should be treated as such until convicted, arguing he has never tried to flee.
• The Taichung High Court refused, saying heavy sentences carry a high flight risk and the trial must be protected.

Outlook: The travel ban stands while the retrial continues in Taichung, with no quick resolution in sight.