Ma Ying-jeou, former Taipei mayor and former chairman of Taiwan's opposition Nationalist Party, arrives at the district court in Taipei for his corruption trial April 3, 2007. Ma Ying-jeou pleaded not guilty Tuesday at his corruption trial, saying that his use of a special municipal fund was in keeping with government standards. [Reuters]

Ma Ying-jeou, former Taipei mayor and former chairman of Taiwan's main opposition party Kuomintang (KMT), went on trial in Taipei on Tuesday on charges of corruption.

"I will face the charge with a plain and calm attitude. I have confidence in my innocence and put my faith in the justice of the court," Ma was quoted by local media as saying.

Before the session opened, a mass of Ma's supporters gathered outside the court and were involved in skirmishes with supporters of the ruling Democratic Progressive Party.

Taiwan prosecutors indicted Ma on charges of corruption on February 13, accusing him of diverting 11 million New Taiwan dollars (US$333,000) from Taipei mayor's special allowance funds to his private account during his tenure as Taipei mayor.

Ma Ying-jeou pleaded not guilty Tuesday at his corruption trial in Taipei, saying that his use of a special municipal fund was in keeping with government standards.

Before entering his plea, the handsome, 56-year-old Harvard-educated lawyer told the court he had done nothing wrong in diverting $333,000 of public money into his private account while serving as mayor of Taipei between 1998 and 2006.

He said the practice of using discretionary municipal funds without providing detailed accounting had been approved by government auditors for more than 20 years.

If convicted on the charges, Ma could face up to seven years in prison.

Ma resigned as KMT chairman after the indictment but immediately declared for the first time that he would run for the 2008 Taiwan leader election.

Ma remains the favorite to take over from Taiwan leader Chen Shui-bian of the ruling Democratic Progressive Party in the March 2008 leadership poll -- despite the charges against him.

On Sunday Ma said his campaign would still go forward even if he is convicted in Taipei District Court.

"If they seek to use the case to cause me trouble or even knock me down, they won't reach their goal," he told reporters.

Current Nationalist bylaws forbid the party from fielding candidates indicted on criminal charges, but the party is likely to change those rules in coming weeks.

Under Taiwanese law, convicted people can run for office, provided their conviction has not been upheld by at least two appeals courts.