Presidential Office Deputy Secretary-General Lo Chih-chiang (羅智強) resigned yesterday amid mounting speculation that allegations of influence peddling against Legislative Speaker Wang Jin-pyng (王金平) were politically motivated.
Following a statement on his Facebook page, Lo told a press conference about his decision, which he said centers on the “nature” of the allegations by the Special Investigation Division (SID) of the Supreme Prosecutors’ Office against “a speaker engaging in influence peddling in a judicial case.”
The SID on Friday last week accused Wang of illegally lobbying then-minister of justice Tseng Yung-fu (曾勇夫) and Taiwan High Prosecutors’ Office Head Prosecutor Chen Shou-huang (陳守煌) on behalf of Democratic Progressive Party caucus whip Ker Chien-ming (柯建銘) by urging the pair to stop a prosecutor from appealing Ker’s not-guilty verdict in a breach of trust case.
Photo: Chang Chia-ming, Taipei Times
“Think about this: If you were engaged in a lawsuit against Ker and you ended up losing the case because Ker had lobbied Wang to exert his influence on the judiciary to rule in his favor, would you be able accept this?” Lo said.
Lo said the influence-peddling case was just one of many reasons behind his resignation, which included personal reasons and his family.
“The influence-peddling case and how it has evolved have had a huge impact on me. I have stated on Facebook what I thought about the case. After resigning, I can say whatever I want to say,” Lo said.
Lo said that President Ma Ying-jeou (馬英九) had thought hard of the potential political fallout before he revealed the content of the SID’s probe, and that Ma had insisted on “fighting for his beliefs” so that the judicial system would be free of political interference.
“The involvement of a legislative speaker in influence peddling — is it difficult to distinguish between what is right and wrong in this case?” Lo asked.
He said that Wang’s alleged misconduct had overstepped the red line and violated the Constitution.
“Can we be indifferent?” he asked.
Lo refused to comment on the SID’s handling of the case, including questions about due process and the legitimacy of wiretapping Ker’s telephone, disclosure of the wiretaps transcripts and leaking the information to Ma while the investigation was still ongoing.
Rumored to be interested in running for mayor of Keelung, Lo said he wold not throw his hat into the ring.
His position will be filled in two weeks, Lo said.
DEFENSE: The first set of three NASAMS that were previously purchased is expected to be delivered by the end of this year and deployed near the capital, sources said Taiwan plans to procure 28 more sets of M-142 High Mobility Artillery Rocket Systems (HIMARS), as well as nine additional sets of National Advanced Surface-to-Air Missile Systems (NASAMS), military sources said yesterday. Taiwan had previously purchased 29 HIMARS launchers from the US and received the first 11 last year. Once the planned purchases are completed and delivered, Taiwan would have 57 sets of HIMARS. The army has also increased the number of MGM-140 Army Tactical Missile Systems (ATACMS) purchased from 64 to 84, the sources added. Each HIMARS launch pod can carry six Guided Multiple Launch Rocket Systems, capable of
Tropical Storm Podul strengthened into a typhoon at 8pm yesterday, the Central Weather Administration (CWA) said, with a sea warning to be issued late last night or early this morning. As of 8pm, the typhoon was 1,020km east of Oluanpi (鵝鑾鼻), Taiwan’s southernmost tip, moving west at 23kph. The storm carried maximum sustained winds of 119kph and gusts reaching 155kph, the CWA said. Based on the tropical storm’s trajectory, a land warning could be issued any time from midday today, it added. CWA forecaster Chang Chun-yao (張竣堯) said Podul is a fast-moving storm that is forecast to bring its heaviest rainfall and strongest
TRAJECTORY: The severe tropical storm is predicted to be closest to Taiwan on Wednesday and Thursday, and would influence the nation to varying degrees, a forecaster said The Central Weather Administration (CWA) yesterday said it would likely issue a sea warning for Tropical Storm Podul tomorrow morning and a land warning that evening at the earliest. CWA forecaster Lin Ting-yi (林定宜) said the severe tropical storm is predicted to be closest to Taiwan on Wednesday and Thursday. As of 2pm yesterday, the storm was moving west at 21kph and packing sustained winds of 108kph and gusts of up to 136.8kph, the CWA said. Lin said that the tropical storm was about 1,710km east of Oluanpi (鵝鑾鼻), Taiwan’s southernmost tip, with two possible trajectories over the next one
GET TO SAFETY: Authorities were scrambling to evacuate nearly 700 people in Hualien County to prepare for overflow from a natural dam formed by a previous typhoon Typhoon Podul yesterday intensified and accelerated as it neared Taiwan, with the impact expected to be felt overnight, the Central Weather Administration (CWA) said, while the Directorate-General of Personnel Administration announced that schools and government offices in most areas of southern and eastern Taiwan would be closed today. The affected regions are Tainan, Kaohsiung and Chiayi City, and Yunlin, Chiayi, Pingtung, Hualien and Taitung counties, as well as the outlying Penghu County. As of 10pm last night, the storm was about 370km east-southeast of Taitung County, moving west-northwest at 27kph, CWA data showed. With a radius of 120km, Podul is carrying maximum sustained
RSS