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Prosecutor probing Ma receives green light for resignation

The prosecutor-general yesterday approved the resignation of one of the lead prosecutors investigating corruption charges against Chinese Nationalist Party (KMT) presidential candidate Ma Ying-jeou (馬英九).

State Prosecutor-General Chen Tsung-ming (陳聰明) denied that prosecutor Hou Kuan-jen (侯寬仁) had resigned from the Special Investigation Task Force because of political pressure.

Hou had offered his resignation a few days ago, but declined to discuss his decision yesterday when approached for comment at the Taipei District Court.

"Hou made the decision for personal reasons. There was no political pressure involved," Chen said.

In addition to his leading role in the investigation into claims that Ma had misappropriated NT$11 million (US$347,000) from his special mayoral allowance during his eight-year tenure as Taipei mayor, Hou was also investigating the KMT's sale of three media outlets and the Institute of Policy Research and Development building to Yuan Lih Construction Corp last year.

Both deals were conducted while Ma was party chairman.

Ma has accused Hou of being biased and asking leading questions when interviewing witness Wu Li-ju (吳麗洳), a Taipei City Government treasurer, and later requested that Hou be relieved of responsibility for the KMT's party asset case.

Ma said yesterday that he respected Hou's decision to leave the task force, and added that he had not pressured the judiciary to relieve Hou of his duties.

Democratic Progressive Party presidential candidate Frank Hsieh's (謝長廷) camp, however, said Ma was behind Hou's resignation from the task force.

Hsieh camp spokesman Hsu Kuo-yung (徐國勇) said Hou and other prosecutors investigating charges against Ma were simply trying to do their jobs under a great deal of political pressure.
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