Ma still needs to explain why he had met Chen several times before major elections and why they met in Chiayi during Ma’s visit to Pingtung County in September 2009 to inspect relief work after Typhoon Morakot, he added.
On Thursday, the KMT threatened to take legal action against the magazine if it failed to clarify the article and offer an apology within three days. The magazine on Sunday said it would not apologize, saying the reported information had all been verified.
King Pu-tsung (金溥聰), chief executive of Ma’s re-election campaign, also issued a statement yesterday saying the campaign team would refrain from suing the magazine for now, but accused it of lacking journalistic professionalism and integrity, and abusing the freedom of speech guaranteed by the Constitution.
Chen, on the other hand, was reported by the Central News Agency to have filed a defamation suit against Next Magazine.



