The Taiwan High Court yesterday overruled a district court decision that granted bail to KMT legislator Gary Wang (
Amid intense media scrutiny, the Taipei District Court in late August rejected a prosecutors' request to detain Wang.
The Taipei District Prosecutors' Office had charged Wang with forgery and breach of trust in a real estate transaction and released him on bail of NT$15 million. They had requested that Wang be remanded in custody to prevent him from collaborating with other parties to fabricate testimony or destroy evidence.
Prosecutors say Wang, chairman of Far Eastern Silo and Shipping (FESS,
The High Court, having heard the prosecutors' appeal, ruled that the district court had given insufficient weight to the possibility that Wang might conspire with his co-defendant, Chung Ying-feng (
Wang is the eighth person to be charged in the land deal scandal. Others include three TDTC officials, three alleged go-betweens and the landowner from whom FESS bought the property.
In requesting the detention, prosecutors had argued that there was a possibility that Wang would collaborate with Chung, one of the alleged go-betweens who was charged in absentia and remains in hiding.
The prosecution also presented to the court evidence showing suspicious money transfers from Chung to Wang after the land sale.
The district court had found credible Wang's argument that the money he is alleged to have obtained fraudulently was the repayment of a debt by Chung, an old friend of his, and had nothing to do with the land deal.
But the High Court said yesterday that the source of the funds would require further investigation and that Wang's and Chung's testimonies on the money are crucial to discovery of the facts.
On that ground, the High Court found it reasonable for the prosecution to try and prevent collaboration between Wang and Chung.
The case has now been returned to the district court for review. This involves holding a further detention hearing. The judge who heard the initial hearing is debarred from presiding over the second hearing.
Wang is vice chairman of the Rebar Group (
He is a three-term legislator who has served on the legislature's powerful finance committee, and is a major player among Taiwan's cable TV operators.
Meanwhile, KMT legislator You Hwai-yin (
The court found that You covered up the bank's financial woes in 1996 in an attempt to deceive investors while the bank was trying to expand its capital.
FREEDOM OF NAVIGATION: The UK would continue to reinforce ties with Taiwan ‘in a wide range of areas’ as a part of a ‘strong unofficial relationship,’ a paper said The UK plans to conduct more freedom of navigation operations in the Taiwan Strait and the South China Sea, British Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs David Lammy told the British House of Commons on Tuesday. British Member of Parliament Desmond Swayne said that the Royal Navy’s HMS Spey had passed through the Taiwan Strait “in pursuit of vital international freedom of navigation in the South China Sea.” Swayne asked Lammy whether he agreed that it was “proper and lawful” to do so, and if the UK would continue to carry out similar operations. Lammy replied “yes” to both questions. The
‘OF COURSE A COUNTRY’: The president outlined that Taiwan has all the necessary features of a nation, including citizens, land, government and sovereignty President William Lai (賴清德) discussed the meaning of “nation” during a speech in New Taipei City last night, emphasizing that Taiwan is a country as he condemned China’s misinterpretation of UN Resolution 2758. The speech was the first in a series of 10 that Lai is scheduled to give across Taiwan. It is the responsibility of Taiwanese citizens to stand united to defend their national sovereignty, democracy, liberty, way of life and the future of the next generation, Lai said. This is the most important legacy the people of this era could pass on to future generations, he said. Lai went on to discuss
AMENDMENT: Climate change is expected to increase the frequency of high-temperature days, affecting economic productivity and public health, experts said The Central Weather Administration (CWA) is considering amending the Meteorological Act (氣象法) to classify “high temperatures” as “hazardous weather,” providing a legal basis for work or school closures due to extreme heat. CWA Administrator Lu Kuo-chen (呂國臣) yesterday said the agency plans to submit the proposed amendments to the Executive Yuan for review in the fourth quarter this year. The CWA has been monitoring high-temperature trends for an extended period, and the agency contributes scientific data to the recently established High Temperature Response Alliance led by the Ministry of Environment, Lu said. The data include temperature, humidity, radiation intensity and ambient wind,
SECOND SPEECH: All political parties should work together to defend democracy, protect Taiwan and resist the CCP, despite their differences, the president said President William Lai (賴清德) yesterday discussed how pro-Taiwan and pro-Republic of China (ROC) groups can agree to maintain solidarity on the issue of protecting Taiwan and resisting the Chinese Communist Party (CCP). The talk, delivered last night at Taoyuan’s Hakka Youth Association, was the second in a series of 10 that Lai is scheduled to give across Taiwan. Citing Taiwanese democracy pioneer Chiang Wei-shui’s (蔣渭水) slogan that solidarity brings strength, Lai said it was a call for political parties to find consensus amid disagreements on behalf of bettering the nation. All political parties should work together to defend democracy, protect Taiwan and resist