Chinese Nationalist Party (KMT) Chairman Eric Chu (朱立倫) and Secretary-General Lee Shu-chuan (李四川) yesterday were called in for questioning by the Special Investigation Division (SID) of the Supreme Prosecutors’ Office over the replacement of Deputy Legislative Speaker Hung Hsiu-chu (洪秀柱) as the KMT’s presidential candidate.
Hung was also interviewed, but separately from Chu and Lee.
The division launched an investigation after two opposition lawmakers filed lawsuits over Hung’s ouster from the presidential race.
Photo: CNA
Chu and Lee left the SID’s office in Taipei after about two hours, and were greeted by a throng of reporters.
The accusations were “groundless, and had no basis in fact,” Chu told reporters, adding that the entire process had been handled “in an open and transparent manner” at the expedient KMT party congress on Saturday last week.
The procedures had been clearly explained to the public, he said, adding that the Democratic Progressive Party (DPP) was “abusing the resources of the judicial system” by filing the accusations and asking the SID to initiate an investigation.
“These politicians used this ploy to interfere in the election. I very much disagree with their actions. They are causing a lot of damage to Taiwan’s democracy,” Chu said.
“However, I will face all the accusations and rumor-mongering with courage. I believe all voters can see that this is not the proper way to deal with a political party’s chairman and a nominee as candidate for the presidential election, he said.”
DPP Legislator Chen Ting-fei (陳亭妃) filed suit against Chu and Lee on Oct. 7, followed by Taiwan Solidarity Union (TSU) Legislator Chou Ni-an (周倪安), who filed a similar complaint.
The SID said it decided to combine the two lawsuits into one case for the purposes of investigation, with prosecutor Ko Yi-fen (柯宜汾) appointed to handle the case.
Chou and Chen accused Chu and Lee of “so inn a teng” (搓圓仔湯), a commonly used Hoklo (also known as Taiwanese) term that means “kneading to make rice ball soup.”
When used in a political context, the term means schemes involving coaxing a candidate to drop out of a race by offering money, a government position or other enticements.
However, such actions are a violation of Article 84 of the Presidential and Vice Presidential Election and Recall Act (總統副總統選舉罷免法), which stipulates that “anyone who asks for an expected promise or asks a candidate or a person having the qualification of candidate to abandon the campaign or conduct certain actions on by offering bribes or other undue benefits” is punishable by law.
DETERRENCE: With 1,000 indigenous Hsiung Feng II and III missiles and 400 Harpoon missiles, the nation would boast the highest anti-ship missile density in the world With Taiwan wrapping up mass production of Hsiung Feng II and III missiles by December and an influx of Harpoon missiles from the US, Taiwan would have the highest density of anti-ship missiles in the world, a source said yesterday. Taiwan is to wrap up mass production of the indigenous anti-ship missiles by the end of year, as the Chungshan Institute of Science and Technology has been meeting production targets ahead of schedule, a defense official with knowledge of the matter said. Combined with the 400 Harpoon anti-ship missiles Taiwan expects to receive from the US by 2028, the nation would have
North Korea yesterday fired about 10 ballistic missiles to the sea toward Japan, the South Korean Joint Chiefs of Staff (JCS) said, days after Pyongyang warned of “terrible consequences” over ongoing South Korea-US military drills. Pyongyang recently dashed hopes of a diplomatic thaw with Seoul, Washington’s security ally, describing its latest peace efforts as a “clumsy, deceptive farce.” Seoul’s military detected “around 10 ballistic missiles launched from the Sunan area in North Korea toward the East Sea [Sea of Japan] at around 1:20pm,” JCS said in a statement, referring to South Korea’s name for the body of water. The missiles
‘UNWAVERING FRIENDSHIP’: A representative of a Japanese group that co-organized a memorial, said he hopes Japanese never forget Taiwan’s kindness President William Lai (賴清德) yesterday marked the 15th anniversary of the Tohoku earthquake and tsunami, urging continued cooperation between Taiwan and Japan on disaster prevention and humanitarian assistance. Lai wrote on social media that Taiwan and Japan have always helped each other in the aftermath of major disasters. The magnitude 9 earthquake struck northeastern Japan on March 11, 2011, triggering a massive tsunami that claimed more than 19,000 lives, according to data from Japanese authorities. Following the disaster, Taiwan donated more than US$240 million in aid, making it one of the largest contributors of financial assistance to Japan. In addition to cash donations and
CLOSER TO CHINA: The upgraded Type-12 missile has a range of about 1,000km, compared with the original model’s range of 200km, and can reach mainland China Japan is preparing to deploy its first batch of domestically developed long-range missiles, with their launchers arriving at an army camp yesterday, as the country accelerates its offensive capability in response to rising challenges in the region. The upgraded Type-12 land-to-ship missiles are to be deployed at Camp Kengun in Japan’s southwestern prefecture of Kumamoto by the end of this month, completing the process of deployment, Japanese Chief Cabinet Secretary Minoru Kihara said without giving details. Army vehicles carrying the launchers and other equipment arrived past midnight in a highly secretive mission criticized by residents. Dozens of people stood outside of the
RSS