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TAIPEI: Taiwan's high court on Wednesday ordered a district court to reconsider its decision to release former president Chen Shui-bian without bail pending his trial on corruption charges.
The Taipei district court had released Chen after he spent more than a month in custody but prosecutors appealed on Tuesday, claiming he could flee the country.
The high court endorsed prosecutors' appeal.
"The purpose of custody is aimed to prevent the former president from escaping here and colluding with the other defendants and destroying evidences," high court spokesman Wen Yao-yuan, told reporters.
Earlier on Wednesday, Chen vowed to fight an attempt to have him placed back in custody over corruption charges.
"I will by no means run away because I deeply love this land and people here. Otherwise, I would not have asked my daughter-in-law to return from the United States to give birth to her baby two years ago," Chen told reporters.
"Nor would I have asked my son to return in August from the United States for the investigation," he said.
"I shall appear in the court to defend my own innocence," he said.
Chen became the island's first former leader to face criminal prosecution when he was indicted on Friday on charges of embezzling government funds, taking bribes and money laundering – and then released the following day.
The prosecutors' move to have him locked up again sparked an angry response from Chen's supporters and his lawyer, who said the appeal was politically motivated – an accusation flatly rejected by Justice Minister Wang Ching-feng.
Chen, 58, who rose to power eight years ago pledging to fight corruption, faces life in prison if convicted on all counts.
Thirteen others were charged in connection with the case, including Chen's wife, son and daughter-in-law.
The former president, who left office in May after serving the maximum two four-year terms as president, and his relatives have insisted they are innocent.
Chen has repeatedly said the charges against him are politically motivated, accusing the China-friendly government of his successor, President Ma Ying-jeou, of leading a witch-hunt.
- AFP/so
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