Citing lack of evidence, Taichung prosecutors yesterday dismissed the suit filed by Taichung Mayor Jason Hu (
Hu filed the complaint against the 12 practicing physicians after they held a news conference during the city mayoral campaign last year to reveal Hu's medical records in an attempt to thwart his re-election bid.
After the revelation, Hu, who suffered a minor stroke, was dogged by questions from supporters of then Democratic Progressive Party mayoral candidate Lin Chia-lung (林佳龍) about whether he was healthy enough to serve another four-year term.
Hu's suit alleged forgery, defamation of character, leaking of confidential information and violation of the election and recall law last year.
Prosecutors yesterday said that the medical records unveiled at the news conference were all genuine and undoubtedly came from Taichung Veterans General Hospital.
However, as none of the 12 doctors had ever personally treated Hu and no proof could be found that any of them had any connection with doctors or their assistants at the Taichung hospital, the prosecutors said that the 12 could not be indicted for leaking business secrets.
Hu yesterday said he would not file another lawsuit against the doctors, but urged the physicians not to risk their reputation nor their moral standards by letting themselves be used by politicians again.
"The public will have its own judgment on this matter. I think no one wants to see such things happen again in the future," he said.
"My only goal is to improve the election climate and stop the smear campaign," Hu said.
Meanwhile, Taichung prosecutors yesterday also decided not to indict Hu over allegations that he had acquired an overly generous pension through fraudulent means.
Lin filed a complaint at the Tai-chung District Prosecutors' Office last year when he was running against Hu in the city's mayoral race.
Lin accused Hu of adding a 10-year period of study in the UK to his public service record in his pension application and received about NT$800,000 (US$24,000) more in pension from the Chinese Nationalist Party (KMT).
The prosecutors yesterday determined that the evidence Lin provided was not strong enough to build a case.
While thanking the court for its decision, Hu yesterday said that the result was not a surprise since his pension application was filed according to the law.
"It'd be strange if the prosecutors decided to indict me," he said yesterday while attending an international conference held in Taipei.
Although there was no problem with including his 10-year study in the UK, Hu said he has donated NT$1 million to welfare groups, which is NT$200,000 more than his 10-year pension.
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