Former Taiwan leader’s prison term extended by a year

Taiwan's high court has extended Chen Shui-bian's prison sentence by one more year to 18 years and six months following a conviction earlier in the year for money laundering.

Chen, 62, was arrested in November 2008 less than six months after he left office, on corruption claims stemming from his two terms as president between 2000 and 2008.

Chen and family members have been accused of laundering millions of US dollars by sending political donations and secret diplomatic funds abroad, and taking kickbacks on government contracts.

The court in 2010 handed out a sentence after convicting Chen on two accounts of bribery in a final verdict. It found him guilty of money laundering in July in another final ruling.