Chinese Nationalist Party (KMT) Legislator Chiu Yi (
The district court sentenced Chiu to 50 days in jail. His sentence was reduced to 25 days in accordance with a sentence commutation statute passed last year. Chiu's sentence can also be commuted to a fine. Chiu yesterday said he would appeal the ruling to the Taiwan High Court.
"Chiu Yi failed to offer solid evidence that Yu illegally lobbied for a construction company that won a construction bid from the Taiwan Power Company," the Taipei District Court ruling said.
The ruling added that Chiu's remarks had jeopardized Yu's reputation and were not protected under the freedom of speech.
According to the ruling, in March 2006, Chiu told the TBVS political talk show, 2100 Quan Min Kai Jiang (Speaking Your Mind at 2100), that a construction company was able to win a NT$5 billion (US$153 million) bid from the Taiwan Power Company because Yu was behind the company.
Chiu said his accusation was based on solid evidence, but when the court asked him to provide the evidence, he told the court the accusation against Yu was based on his suspicions.
Chiu has been facing multiple slander suits for revealing scandals without offering proof.
Chiu was also indicted in March 2006 for alleging that DPP Legislator Hsu Jung-shu (許榮淑) was involved in Futung Group's embezzlement of several billions of dollars.
He alleged Hsu had traded 600 Futung Group stocks before it was forced to cease trading on the stock market.
Prosecutors found Chiu's accusation was untrue.
This case was not heard in district court because Chiu and Hsu settled out of court.
Meanwhile, in other news, DPP Legislators Chiang Kuo-ching (江國慶) and Huang Chao-hui (黃昭輝) on Friday were found guilty in a slander lawsuit brought against them by the leader of the 2006 anti-President Chen Shui-bian (陳水扁) movement, Shih Ming-teh (施明德).
The two legislators were sued for calling Shih a "homeless mad dog," a "pervert" and a "bastard" during a press conference held in September 2006.
The Taipei district court handed down the verdict with a ruling that Chiang and Huang each had to pay NT$100,000 (US$3,000) to Shih in compensation.
Both legislators said they would appeal the case.
Chang Fu-chung (
Additional reporting by staff writer
The first global hotel Keys Selection by the Michelin Guide includes four hotels in Taiwan, Michelin announced yesterday. All four received the “Michelin One Key,” indicating guests are to experience a “very special stay” at any of the locations as the establishments are “a true gem with personality. Service always goes the extra mile, and the hotel provides much more than others in its price range.” Of the four hotels, three are located in Taipei and one in Taichung. In Taipei, the One Key accolades were awarded to the Capella Taipei, Kimpton Da An Taipei and Mandarin Oriental Taipei. Capella Taipei was described by
The Taichung District Court yesterday confirmed its final ruling that the marriage between teenage heir Lai (賴) and a man surnamed Hsia (夏) was legally invalid, preventing Hsia from inheriting Lai’s NT$500 million (US$16.37 million) estate. The court confirmed that Hsia chose not to appeal the civil judgement after the court handed down its ruling in June, making the decision final. In the June ruling, the court said that Lai, 18, and Hsia, 26, showed “no mutual admiration before the marriage” and that their interactions were “distant and unfamiliar.” The judge concluded that the couple lacked the “true intention of
EVA Airways today confirmed the death of a flight attendant on Saturday upon their return to Taiwan and said an internal investigation has been launched, as criticism mounted over a social media post accusing the airline of failing to offer sufficient employee protections. According to the post, the flight attendant complained of feeling sick on board a flight, but was unable to take sick leave or access medical care. The crew member allegedly did not receive assistance from the chief purser, who failed to heed their requests for medical attention or call an ambulance once the flight landed, the post said. As sick
INDUSTRY: Beijing’s latest export measures go beyond targeting the US and would likely affect any country that uses Chinese rare earths or related tech, an academic said Taiwanese industries could face significant disruption from China’s newly tightened export controls on rare earth elements, as much of Taiwan’s supply indirectly depends on Chinese materials processed in Japan, a local expert said yesterday. Kristy Hsu (徐遵慈), director of the Taiwan ASEAN Studies Center at the Chung-Hua Institution for Economic Research, said that China’s latest export measures go far beyond targeting the US and would likely affect any country that uses Chinese rare earths or related technologies. With Japan and Southeast Asian countries among those expected to be hit, Taiwan could feel the impact through its reliance on Japanese-made semi-finished products and
RSS