Suspended Hsinchu City Mayor Ann Kao has been sentenced to 10 months in
prison for making malicious accusations against a US-based scholar who said
she had committed plagiarism in her Ph.D. thesis.

According to the Taipei District Court, Kao "clearly knew" that her thesis
was "extensively" plagiarized, yet still filed suit against Chen Shih-fen for
aggravated defamation in August of 2022.

Prosecutors decided not to indict Chen in March of last year.

Chen then brought a private prosecution the following month against Kao for
the offense of "malicious accusation" and the Taipei District Court chose to
rule in his favor.

Speaking after the ruling, Kao said she deeply regrets the verdict, which
runs counter to the requirement of establishing the crime of malicious
accusation, and she plans to lodge an appeal.

Kao wrote her thesis while studying at the University of Cincinnati

Kao was sentenced to seven years and four months in prison for corruption
last month for violating the Anti-Corruption Act and the Criminal Code.

Kao is currently appealing that sentence.