State Public Prosecutor-General Chen Tsung-ming (陳聰明) yesterday filed a slander lawsuit against Chinese Nationalist Party (KMT) Legislator Chiu Yi (邱毅).
Chen filed the suit after Chiu accused him of visiting a piano bar with a businessman and entertaining models while playing drinking games.
Chen said in a statement that Chiu’s claims were unfounded and completely false, and that “[Chiu] should assume responsibility for causing damage to my reputation.”
Chiu has “on several occasions damaged the reputation of the entire country’s prosecutorial system and the state public prosecutor-general by spreading false rumors,” the statement read.
This is the first time a state public prosecutor-general has filed a lawsuit against a legislator.
The Chinese-language United Daily News yesterday reported that Chiu had recently accused Chen of visiting the Villa Piano Bar in Taipei with a businessman from a construction company, and of playing drinking games with models while he was there.
In a TV political talk show on Thursday, Chiu also accused Chen of having “secret relations” with the businessman, surnamed Tsai (蔡).
Chen has hired a lawyer to file the slander lawsuit at the Taipei District Court in order to seek compensation for the damage to his reputation.
In response, Chiu urged the state prosecutor-general to step down until the lawsuit runs its course.
Chiu said he had evidence to support the allegations he made against Chen, adding that he would file a lawsuit against Chen for bringing a false charge against him.
ADDITIONAL REPORTING BY FLORA WANG
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