Former president Chen Shui-bian (陳水扁) was found not guilty by the Taiwan High Court yesterday of directing his aides to give false testimony to prosecutors who were probing his alleged misuse of a special state affairs fund.

The High Court ruling overturned one handed down by the Taipei District Court in July last year, in which Chen was sentenced to two months in jail on charges of urging Ma Yung-cheng (馬永成) and Lin Teh-hsun (林德訓) — who headed Chen’s office at different times during his two terms as president from 2000 to 2008 — to make untrue statements.