Hsieh's cousin faces punishment over hostess bar scandal

The Control Yuan yesterday passed a resolution to impeach three Kaohsiung prosecutors, including Kaohsiung mayor Frank Hsieh's (謝長廷) cousin Chin Te-jin (秦德進), for going to a hostess bar.

The other two prosecutors are Liu Yun (劉昀) and Wang Chao-chen (王朝震).

The resolution comes after a Ministry of Justice investigation of allegations the three had attended a private party at a Kaohsiung hostess bar last year. The investigation revealed that Chin had been invited by a friend, Chang Kun-he (張崑和), to attend the party and he in turn had invited Liu and Wang.

The investigation also concluded that Chin had been invited to the hostess bar to mediate a dispute Chang had over his gambling debt.

The resolution said the Control Yuan's decision to impeach the prosecutors was based on the result of the ministry's investigation.

"The three prosecutors' attending the hostess bar have violated the discipline of the civil service and Chin's mediating a dispute over a gambling debt for someone implies his lack of virtue as a law worker," the resolution said.

Chin now faces an uncertain punishment.

But it may be his uncle that feels the most immediate effect of Chin's impeachment.

Hsieh's approval rating, according to various polls, has now fallen below that of his challenger, Huang Jun-ying (黃俊英), who has gained support from the KMT and PFP.

The Kaohsiung mayor has been embroiled in controversy of his own, after a KMT lawmaker accused him of accepting a check from the scandal-plagued Zanadau Development Corp. He denies the allegations.

He also faces a lawsuit filed by Huang over Hsieh's allegations that Huang was involved in a shady rezoning application while he was the city's vice mayor four years ago.