TAIPEI ? Taiwan President Ma Ying-jeou on Sunday approved the resignation of the judicial chief after a high-profile graft scandal implicating senior judges and a prosecutor, a spokesman said.

Lai In-jaw, president of the Judicial Yuan, tendered his resignation Saturday and Ma accepted after his efforts to persuade Lai to stay on failed.

"Lai had previously twice tendered his resignation for health reasons and been asked to stay on," Lo Chih-chiang, spokesman for the presidential office, told reporters.

"But this time Lai insisted quitting so as to assume political responsibility in the wake of the High Court scandal. President Ma decided to respect his determination while being positive of his move."

Lai came under fire after the scandal surfaced last week, with judicial reform activists demanding that he quit for failing to weed out judges with disciplinary issues.

Three High Court judges and a prosecutor were taken into custody for allegedly accepting bribes from a former lawmaker in exchange for a not guilty verdict in a land acquisition case.

The ex-lawmaker, who disappeared when prosecutors were about to raid his residence, has been put on the wanted list.

Taiwan has been hit by a string of corruption scandals in recent years, with the most controversial case implicating former president Chen Shui-bian and his family.