The Hualien District Prosecutors' Office has drawn President Chen Shui-bian (陳水扁) into their investigation of a campaign promise made by the Democratic Progressive Party's (DPP) candidate in the county commissioner by-election last summer.
Prosecutors told reporters yesterday they are planning to summon Chen as a witness next week, but would not confirm a date or details of the interrogation.
In the by-election campaign, DPP candidate You Ying-lung (游盈隆) said on July 27 that he would give a monthly NT$5,000 service allowance to the county's Aboriginal chiefs to help them with community affairs if he won the by-election.
An anonymous voter, however, reported to the prosecutors' office claiming that You's promise constituted bribery.
Prosecutor Lee Tsu-chun (
In addition to questioning Lee Chin-yung and You, prosecutors also wished to talk to Chen because he is the chairman of DPP and should be fully aware of the party's policies.
When approached by reporters, however, Lee Tsu-chun would not publicly confirm prosecutors' plan to summon the president.
"First of all, I am not the spokesman of the Hualien District Prosecutors' Office so I am not supposed to speak in public on behalf of my colleagues," Lee Tsu-chun said. "I can neither confirm nor deny whether we will summon the president next week."
Prosecutors' office spokesman Chen Sung-chi (
"According to the Constitution, the president enjoys immunity from the Criminal Code during his four-year term," Chen Sung-chi said. "That means he will not be indicted. But the Constitution does not say that the president cannot be summoned as a witness.
"Arrangements can be made if it is necessary to obtain the president's testimony," he said.
Lee Chin-yung was upset yesterday after learning prosecutors were planning to summon Chen Shui-bian, but said the move didn't surprise him.
"I cannot fathom why prosecutors do not understand that campaign policy and vote-buying are two different issues," Lee Chin-yung said. "If a candidate is indicted for his campaign policy, wouldn't you consider that a joke? Is that logical?"
Lee Chin-yung said the DPP has not received a summons from the prosecutors' office and that it will not make any official announcement on the case because a summons has not been confirmed.
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