TAIPEI (Taiwan News) — Hsinchu District Court sentenced a former city health official to 16 years in prison on Friday for accepting bribes.

The court sentenced a former Hsinchu Food and Drug Administration director surnamed Cheng (鄭) alongside a businessperson surnamed Chang (張), who received 10 years. The court’s verdict found the pair collaborated to falsely advertise medical equipment and medicines, and skirted approval processes, per CNA.

The court found that Cheng asked businesses that falsely advertised to register in Hsinchu so she would have jurisdiction over them. She then accepted bribes in exchange for allowing them to continue running advertisements that exaggerated product features or misled consumers.

Cheng and Chang collaborated during the former’s directorship between 2017 and 2021. The court found Chang solicited bribes worth NT$13.4 million (US$411,668), NT$4.42 million of which Cheng received.

The court confiscated NT$8.92 million in criminal proceeds from the pair. In addition to the prison sentences, the court disenfranchised Chang and Cheng for eight and nine years, respectively. The sentences may be appealed.