The Control Yuan yesterday impeached a senior judge after he breached strict travel regulations by going to China to study for a Ph. D without permission from the government.
High Court Justice Su Lung-hui (
According to regulations, public servants who wish to go to China must file an application with the government and obtain permission to do so.
An unnamed citizen reported Su's behavior to the Judicial Yuan, which then filed the case to the Control Yuan in September last year.
After a three-month investigation, Control Yuan members Lin Ju-liang (
The investigation report showed evidence from the immigration bureau that Su did not report any of his eight trips to China.
The report said Su had admitted visiting China to take exams, attend classes and hand in research papers.
But Su argued that even though he did not follow standard procedures to report his trips to China, "there is nothing wrong with my motives for further study."
In the report, Su also argued that it is impossible for the government to give him permission to study in China.
Su has already accumulated his required credits for the law doctorate but has yet to complete his thesis.
The report said, "The judge clearly knew that by going to China without permission he was in breach of the law, but still he deliberately went, which undermines the government's authority."
"Su has damaged the reputation of judges," Lin Jiang-tsai said.
The report added, "A judge's behavior will have a serious impact on society's confidence in the judicial system. Su should have exercised strict self-discipline."
Su was investigated by the Control Yuan and by police in the mid-1990s on suspicion of being involved in insider stock exchange deals with convicted insider dealer Chen Chien-chi (陳謙吉), the chairman of stock brokerage Well-Phone Securities. He was neither tried nor impeached, however, due to insufficient evidence.
Su will be referred to the Committee for the Discipline of Public Functionaries for punishment, which will involve either demerit or dismissal.
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