The Taipei District Court yesterday cleared two former New Party lawmakers of defamation charges, saying comments by the pair that former first lady Tseng Wen-hui (
The court ruled that Elmer Feng (
Shortly after the 2000 presidential election, Feng and Hsieh said Tseng had attempted to flee to New York with US$85 million in cash stuffed into 54 suitcases, but was turned back by customs officials. Their comments were broadcast on TV.
But the judge in yesterday's ruling said the remarks didn't constitute a "malicious accusation."
The ruling said the lawmakers were casting "suspicion" on Tseng -- a right protected by legislative immunity under the Constitution, he said -- but the remarks were not a "malicious accusation."
The judge said Hsieh and Feng as lawmakers had the right to call into question anything they felt was a danger to national security or damaging to the country -- regardless of whether they possessed any evidence to support their claims.
As for Tai, the judge said there wasn't enough evidence to suggest he made the claim that Tseng fled to the US after the presidential contest. Unlike Hsieh and Feng, Tai's alleged remarks weren't reported by the media.
In throwing out the slander charges, the judge also dropped Tseng's NT$300 million claim for damages.
The judge also threw out the trio's counterclaims that Tseng had defamed them by filing the slander charges. In a ruling that appears to turn logic on its head, the judge said the counterclaims had to be dropped because there was no slander in the case.
Tseng has 10 days to appeal the ruling to the Taiwan High Court. The defendants can also appeal to have their counterclaims reconsidered.
The ruling shocked the Tseng camp, who thought they had a convincing case against Feng, Hsieh and Tai.
Tseng had testified that she was at home watching TV on March 19, 2000 -- not flying to New York. On March 21, Tseng and her family visited her son's grave on the 20th anniversary of his death.
On March 23 Tseng made her first public post-election appearance, when she was seen playing golf to counter the accusations she had left the country.
"Tseng said that she was pretty surprised when she heard the news," said Liu Tsung-hsin (劉宗欣), Tseng's lawyer.
"Since they were never able to provide any evidence to back themselves up ... how could they be not guilty of slander?"
Liu said an appeal was in the works.
TSU lawmakers also took issue with the ruling, in particular the comments from the judge that the participants in the dispute should set aside their differences for the sake of "ethnic harmony."
According to a statement released by the Taipei District Court, the judge said the "plaintiff should take into consideration national security and ethnic harmony" in deciding whether to file an appeal.
The lawmakers said only the merits of the case should be considered. "Judges should reach a verdict based solely on the law and the evidence. It's preposterous to reach a verdict with the an aim of preserving ethnic harmony," the lawmakers said.
TSU lawmaker Lo Chih-ming (
NEXT GENERATION: The four plants in the Central Taiwan Science Park, designated Fab 25, would consist of four 1.4-nanometer wafer manufacturing plants, TSMC said Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Co (TSMC, 台積電) plans to begin construction of four new plants later this year, with the aim to officially launch production of 2-nanometer semiconductor wafers by late 2028, Central Taiwan Science Park Bureau director-general Hsu Maw-shin (許茂新) said. Hsu made the announcement at an event on Friday evening celebrating the Central Taiwan Science Park’s 22nd anniversary. The second phase of the park’s expansion would commence with the initial construction of water detention ponds and other structures aimed at soil and water conservation, Hsu said. TSMC has officially leased the land, with the Central Taiwan Science Park having handed over the
AUKUS: The Australian Ambassador to the US said his country is working with the Pentagon and he is confident that submarine issues will be resolved Australian Ambassador to the US Kevin Rudd on Friday said that if Taiwan were to fall to China’s occupation, it would unleash China’s military capacities and capabilities more broadly. He also said his country is working with the Pentagon on the US Department of Defense’s review of the AUKUS submarine project and is confident that all issues raised will be resolved. Rudd, who served as Australian prime minister from 2007 to 2010 and for three months in 2013, made the remarks at the Aspen Security Forum in Colorado and stressed the longstanding US-Australia alliance and his close relationship with the US Undersecretary
‘WORLD WAR III’: Republican Representative Marjorie Taylor Greene said the aid would inflame tensions, but her amendment was rejected 421 votes against six The US House of Representatives on Friday passed the Department of Defense Appropriations Act for fiscal 2026, which includes US$500 million for Taiwan. The bill, which totals US$831.5 billion in discretionary spending, passed in a 221-209 vote. According to the bill, the funds for Taiwan would be administered by the US Defense Security Cooperation Agency and would remain available through Sept. 30, 2027, for the Taiwan Security Cooperation Initiative. The legislation authorizes the US Secretary of Defense, with the agreement of the US Secretary of State, to use the funds to assist Taiwan in procuring defense articles and services, and military training. Republican Representative
TAIWAN IS TAIWAN: US Representative Tom Tiffany said the amendment was not controversial, as ‘Taiwan is not — nor has it ever been — part of Communist China’ The US House of Representatives on Friday passed an amendment banning the US Department of Defense from creating, buying or displaying any map that shows Taiwan as part of the People’s Republic of China (PRC). The “Honest Maps” amendment was approved in a voice vote on Friday as part of the Department of Defense Appropriations Act for the 2026 fiscal year. The amendment prohibits using any funds from the act to create, buy or display maps that show Taiwan, Kinmen, Matsu, Penghu, Wuciou (烏坵), Green Island (綠島) or Orchid Island (Lanyu, 蘭嶼) as part of the PRC. The act includes US$831.5 billion in