Taiwan's former president, Chen Shui-bian, has done his utmost to portray allegations of corruption and financial impropriety against him during his eight years in office as being politically motivated, despite prima facie evidence of his guilt. Shouted protests to journalists and supporters as he was led in handcuffs from a prosecutors' office yesterday sent that message out loud and clear.

There can be no disputing that the island is deeply divided over its relations with the mainland and Mr Chen is exploiting that to his favour. The fostering of ties with Beijing under Mr Chen's successor, Ma Ying-jeou, which led to last week's visit by Beijing's leading negotiator on Taiwan, brought hundreds of thousands of demonstrators to the streets. To them, what matters more is that Mr Chen embodies their fight for independence for the island. Whether the former president might have committed fraud is of secondary importance.

Mr Chen contends he is innocent and that he is a victim of politicking. There would certainly have been no argument with such an assertion during the pre-democracy days of iron-fist Kuomintang rule when the judiciary was not seen as politically independent. But his contention is unconvincing, as judges have since made significant headway in asserting their independence. Nonetheless, sectors of Taiwanese society are still suspicious of court decisions and the impartiality of some judges.