The High Court trial of Taiwan opposition presidential candidate Ma Ying-jeou began on Friday, two months after he was cleared by a lower court.

In August 2006, legislators from Taiwan's Democratic Progressive Party (DPP) accused Ma of misusing "special subsidies" for administrative leaders. In February 2007, local inspectors charge him with "swindling".

During Friday's court hearing, Ma reiterated his innocence. He told the judges that he had never intended to embezzle public money and never engaged in swindling.

Ma said that during more than 20 years of public service, he was not aware of the rules saying it was forbidden to apply for new "special funds" before the old ones were finished.

Moreover, Ma said, during his tenure as mayor of Taipei, he donated a large amount of money to charity, more than four times the "special subsidies" he received from the authorities.

Ma is also a former chairman and the current "presidential candidate" of the Kuomintang Party (KMT).

(Xinhua News Agency October 13, 2007)