Independent Legislator Yen Ching-piao (顏清標) won't be among a group of lawmakers traveling to the US and Central America today.
Yen, who has been barred from leaving Taiwan by the Taichung branch of the Taiwan High Court, had sought a temporary lifting of the ban so he could make the trip.
But those efforts have fallen through, and Yen will miss attending the inauguration of Costa Rica's new president.
The travel ban is a result of the court's Jan. 2 ruling that upheld Yen's earlier conviction on charges of corruption, attempted murder, possession of illegal firearms and obstruction of justice.
He was sentenced to 11 years and six months in prison. A Taichung District Court last year gave Yen a 20-year sentence. The case is currently on appeal with the Supreme Court.
Yen sought to have the ban lifted, but the Taiwan High Court denied his request on April 21.
After the rejection Legislative Speaker Wang Jin-pyng (王金平) said he would negotiate with Judicial Yuan officials to lift Yen's travel ban "temporarily."
But Judicial Yuan officials yesterday said Wang never contacted them over the matter.
The Taichung branch court of the Taiwan High Court also said they had never considered Wang's proposal to lift the travel ban "temporarily."
"It's the judge's job to decide whether Yen should be barred [from travel] and nobody is allowed to interfere with a judge's job, including Wang," a Judicial Yuan official told the Taipei Times yesterday. "That's the bottom line," the official added.
Wang's office yesterday refused to say whether he had attempted to negotiate with any judicial official on Yen's behalf.
According to legislature, Wang is President Chen Shui-bian's (陳水扁) personal envoy and will lead KMT legislators Hsu Shao-ping (徐少萍) and Cho Po-yuan (卓伯源)of the KMT; the DPP's Chen Chin-Chiung (陳景峻) and Hsu Jung-shu (許榮淑); the PFP's Cheng Chih-lung (鄭志龍); the TSU's Liao Pen-yen (廖本煙) and independent lawmaker Kao Chin Su-Mei (高金素梅) to attend the inauguration of president-elect Abel Pacheco on May 8.
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