SHANGHAI, Mar 14 -- THE trial of Ma Ying-jeou, former Taipei mayor, will begin on April 3, Xinhua news agency reported, citing a Taipei local court spokesman.

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's special allowance funds to his private account during his tenure as Taipei mayor.

Ma immediately resigned as chairman of Taiwan's main opposition party Kuomintang but declared for the first time that he would run for the 2008 Taiwan leader election.

Taipei local prosecutors handed over files of Ma's case to the local court yesterday, which has drawn lots to decide the chief justice and magistrate.