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Hsieh to file appeal for re-investigation of tape controversy

Democratic Progressive Party (DPP) Chairman Frank Hsieh (謝長廷) said yesterday he would file an appeal with the Taiwan High Court Prosecutors Office, asking for a re-investigation of a case in which he is alleged to have fabricated a tape in 1998 accusing his rival in that year’s Kaoshiung mayoral election of having an affair.

Hsieh made the remarks yesterday following the Taipei prosecutors’ decision on Friday not to indict former DPP Kaoshiung councilor Chen Chun-sheng (陳春生), against whom Hsieh in December 2006 filed a slander lawsuit after Chen accused Hsieh of fabricating a scandal generally regarded as a crucial factor behind Hsieh’s success in the 1998 Kaohsiung mayoral election.

Some two weeks prior to the election, then-DPP Kaoshiung Councilor Chen released an audio tape which suggested that Chinese Nationalist Party (KMT) member Wu Den-yih (吳敦義), who was seeking re-election as Kaohsiung mayor, had had an affair with a female reporter.

Although Hsieh was accused of playing a role in the fabrication of the tape, he denied any responsibility.

Wu filed a lawsuit against Chen and in September 2005 a judge ruled that the tape was a fake.

In December 2006, Chen said Hsieh gave him the tape and asked him to release it. Hsieh then filed a slander lawsuit against Chen.

Taipei prosecutors on Friday decided not to indict Chen, saying that a witness, Lin Hung-ming (林宏明), a former Kaoshiung City Government official, told prosecutors he had asked Chen to meet Hsieh in his house before the 1998 election. He claimed to have seen Hsieh provide Chen with the tape.

Prosecutors said that because of Lin’s statement, Chen had a case to accuse Hsieh.

Hsieh said Chen had conspired with Lin to smear him after he failed to offer Lin a post when he became premier, adding that he wanted to counter Lin’s claims before prosecutors.
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