A Taiwanese politician known for her close ties with the president and currently on trial charged with taking bribes has been released on bail, court officials said.
Lai Su-ju, a member of the Taipei City Council, went on trial on August 9 and was released on bail of T$15 million (US$500,000) late on Friday, said the Taipei district court.
She was charged in July with soliciting a T$10 million bribe, of which she already received T$1 million, to help facilitate a massive construction project in the capital, according to prosecutors.
Lai, who had been detained since March, has admitted accepting T$1 million but claimed it was a political donation rather than a bribe.
The 49-year-old was a rising star in the ruling Kuomintang (KMT) party chaired by President Ma Ying-jeou and formerly served as its spokeswoman. She was also the director of Ma’s office in the KMT.
As a lawyer, she had represented Ma and other top politicians in several high-profile court cases.