Taiwan man convicted for N. Korea oil sales jumps to death

Taiwan's justice ministry has expressed regret after a businessman convicted over illegal oil sales to North Korea leapt to his death.

Authorities launched a probe into Chen Shih-hsien last year after Seoul said it had detained a Hong Kong-registered ship suspected of transferring oil to a North Korean vessel, flouting UN sanctions.

Chen, 54, was later indicted on forgery charges for making a false declaration that a ship he had chartered was bound for Hong Kong when it actually sailed to international waters to sell the oil.

A district court in southern Kaohsiung city last month sentenced him to 119 days in jail, suspended for two years.

Chen's assets were frozen after Taiwan's government imposed a ban on all financial dealings with him and locked up his companies' bank accounts due to the probe, which he was appealing against.

The justice ministry said in a statement it deeply regretted the passing of Chen, who jumped from a building on Friday in a suspected suicide.

Local media ...