Wu Shu-chen, the wife of former Taiwan leader Chen Shui-bian, was sentenced to a year in jail for perjury Tuesday by the Taipei district court.

Chen's son Chen Chih-chung, daughter Chen Hsing-yu and son-in-law Chao Chien-ming were also each sentenced to six months.

The court will deliver a verdict on Chen Shui-bian's corruption case on Sept. 11, earlier reports said.

Wu was charged with instigating her children to falsely state their accounts for personal consumption as part of her and her husband's official expenses.

Chen's son, daughter and son-in-law were summoned for testimony after Taiwan prosecutors found Wu had collected their bills to apply for reimbursement from public funds. But they committed perjury as they had been instructed by Wu.

The group has the right to appeal against the judgment.

Chen Shui-bian was first indicted on Dec. 12 for money laundering and bribery. He and Wu were charged with embezzling 104 million New Taiwan dollars (3.15 million US dollars) of public funds and accepting bribes of at least 9 million U.S. dollars in a land purchase deal.

Chen has been in detention since December and faces a possible life sentence if convicted.

He was elected Taiwan leader in May 2000, but was ousted in an election in May last year.

(Xinhua News Agency September 2, 2009)