`Hsichih Trio' must die: High Court

amnesty?

DPP Legislator Gao Jyh-peng (高志鵬) urged the president to consider an amnesty.

Calling the procedure used by prosecutors to collect evidence in the case "flawed," Gao said that if the president granted the trio clemency, prosecutors would pay more attention to procedural justice in the future.

"The law punishes someone to prevent them from committing another offense. I think this purpose has been served," DPP caucus whip Wang Tuoh (王拓) said.

Wang said he supported the idea of granting a pardon, adding that he may suggest it to other caucus members.

DPP Legislator Tsai Chi-fang (蔡啟芳), however, was not in favor of a pardon.

Although the trio deserve sympathy, the president should not grant amnesty lightly, he said.

divided

Pan-blue lawmakers were divided over a suggestion by Gao that the president should grant a special pardon to Su Chien-ho.

KMT Legislator Joanna Lei (雷倩) said she was surprised at the verdict and felt very sad about the state of the judiciary.

"As far as I understand it, both the direct evidence and the circumstantial evidence were too weak to prove Su Chien-ho's guilt," Lei said.

"On the principle of presumption of innocence, anyone should be pronounced innocent under such circumstances," Lei added.

Lei said she was in favor of Gao's suggestion, while People First Party Legislator Lee Hung-chun (李鴻鈞) remained cautious.

Lee said that not every controversial case could be resolved by an amnesty, adding that those who made such a suggestion should explain their rationale.

Additional reporting by Flora Wang, Shih Hsiu-chuan and Mo Yan-chih