Taiwan students risk jail for 'selling votes' on Facebook

Two Taiwanese college students could face up to three years in jail for trying to sell their votes on social networking site Facebook, a report said today.

Two Taiwanese college students could face up to three years in jail for trying to sell their votes on social networking site Facebook, a report said on Wednesday.

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One student allegedly wrote on his Facebook page that he would be willing to sell his vote for 500 Taiwan dollars (16 US) while another added a comment, saying that he would too, said the

Taipei Times

, citing Taipei county police.

The students, both law majors, defended themselves by saying that they were aware that vote-buying is illegal and that they were only making jokes, the report said.

However, they were charged with violating election laws and face a maximum prison term of three years if convicted, it said.

Residents in five big cities across the island will elect mayors and councillors on Saturday, seen as a key indicator of voting intentions for the nationwide 2012 presidential vote.

Vote-buying is rampant, critics argue, and prosecutors have said they are investigating about 160 alleged vote-buying cases in Taipei city and county alone.

Police officials were not immediately available for comment.