Police confident arrests will be made soon

Police said yesterday they may know who shot President Chen Shui-bian (陳水扁) and Vice President Annette Lu (呂秀蓮).

"Due to a gag order, I cannot make public the latest details of the case, but I assure you that we are screening potential suspects and I believe that we shall locate the gunman soon," State Public Prosecutor-General Lu Jen-fa (盧仁發) said at a press conference yesterday.

Minister of Justice Chen Ding-nan (陳定南) and Bureau of Investigation Director-General Yeh Sheng-mao (葉盛茂) said special agents did not receive any tips ahead of the shooting.

"It is just our rough investigation, but everything is under control at this minute, I assure you," Chen Ding-nan said.

As of press time yesterday, Tainan police had located two shell cases at the scene. Police have yet to determine how the president and vice president were hit.

National Police Administration Deputy Director-General Liu Shih-lin (劉世林) said he believed there were at least two gunmen.

Justice officials made the comments at a press conference yesterday afternoon that was originally called to discuss efforts to crack down on election-related bribery.

Tainan District Prosecutor-General Liu Wei-tsung (劉惟宗) said two chief prosecutors have been assigned to the case, adding the prosecutors have the names of suspects in mind.

In addition to prosecutors, special agents from the National Security Bureau (NSB), the National Police Administration's (NPA) Criminal Investigation Bureau (CIB) and the Ministry of Justice's Bureau of Investigation are working on the case.

Meanwhile, special agents from the NSB assigned to protect the pan-blue camp's candidates -- Chinese Nationalist Party Chairman Lien Chan (連戰) and People First Party (PFP) Chairman James Soong (宋楚瑜) -- were ordered to carry their M-16s while on duty.

In addition, nearly 20,000 officers from the NPA's Peace Preservation Corps have been ordered to tighten security at certain locations across the country.

NPA Director-General Chang Si-liang (張四良) and CIB Commissioner Hou You-yi (侯友宜) flew to Tainan yesterday to be with the president and the vice president.

Tainan Mayor Hsu Tain-tsair (許添財) said the city is offering a NT$3 million reward for information leading to the arrest of the perpetrators.