In Taipei, a court has ruled to detain a former vice-premier of Taiwan as he faces a corruption investigation, marking the highest-profile graft case in the democratic island nation since former president Chen Shui-bian’s in 2008.

Cheng Wen-tsan, who served as vice-premier in the Tsai administration from January 2023 to May 2024, will remain in custody due to concerns about potential collusion with others implicated in the case, according to a statement from the Taoyuan court issued late on July 11. The court cited flight risk, noting that the charges against him are serious felonies.

Prosecutors allege that Cheng accepted bribes leveraging his government position, although specific details have not been disclosed.

Cheng, a prominent figure in Taiwan’s ruling Democratic Progressive Party and previously seen as a potential presidential candidate, stepped down from his role as head of the Straits Exchange Foundation on July 7 amidst the ongoing investigation.