The Prosecutors' Reform Asso-ciation (檢察官改革協會) yesterday issued a statement criticizing Minister of Justice Chen Ding-nan (陳定南) over the recent reshuffle of 21 prosecutors general, faulting the minister for the lack of transparency in his decision.
The minister was criticized for acting according to his own will, instead of setting up a mechanism to institutionalize these types of personnel changes.
"A determination that is unaccompanied by institutionalization opens the door to political interference," the statement said.
The Ministry of Justice on Thursday announced the sudden and large-scale reshuffle, prompting speculation that Chen had used it as a means to rectify the practices of prosecutors who had brought criticism upon the ministry and the judicial system with their controversial methods.
"Minister Chen actually left the real reasons behind the reshuffle unknown to all," Chen Jui-jen (
Chen and several members of the association met with the minister on Friday night. Chen said that during the meeting the minister had guaranteed that the reshuffle had not been made for political reasons, but had failed to give convincing reasons.
Chen Jui-jen said Minister Chen was overly self-confident about his own integrity, neglecting the importance of establishing a workable personnel system.
"The sweeping transfer of prosecutors this time may have created an example for future practice of justice ministers," Chen Jui-jen said. "We are worried that if the minister changes his style or if a poor performing minister assumes office, then such a practice based on the minister's determination rather than an institution may invite political interference into the judiciary."
It has been widely speculated that several politically sensitive cases led to the reshuffle. These include the search of the China Times Express newsroom, the search of Legislator Liao Hwu-peng's (
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