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.
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.