The PFP legislators asked the Control Yuan yesterday to investigate whether President Chen Shui-bian's (陳水扁) comments Wednesday on the Chung Hsing Bills Finance scandal in any way interfered with the judicial investigation into the case
During the 2000 presidential election campaign, the KMT filed a lawsuit against PFP Chairman James Soong (
After the election, prosecutors said there wasn't enough evidence to try case and the KMT dropped the charges.
Last month, the KMT said that the allegations had "all been a result of misunderstanding."
While new evidence may come to light allowing the case to move forward, PFP legislators argued the case is closed in as much as current evidence is not yet part of an investigation and is merely being reviewed internally by the Taipei District Prosecutors' Office.
"Being the leader of the nation, Chen arbitrarily made remarks that interfered with the judicial investigation and appeared to be a veiled order for justice officials to look unfavorably on [Soong]," the legislators' request said, referring to Chen's statement on Wednesday that the Chung Hsing Bills Finance case remained open.
"Chen's statement appears to be an attempt to smear the nation's opposition leader. ? To safeguard the independence of the judicial system, [the Control Yuan] should investigate whether Chen's remarks were at all appropriate," the request said.
PFP legislative leader Chung Shao-ho (
Control Yuan member Li You-chi (李友吉) accepted the motion, but said the body would have to study constitutional articles before deciding whether to follow it up.
While the legislators cited Article 7 of the Additional Articles of the Constitution -- which states that "the impeachment by the Control Yuan of [a] functionary in the Central or local governments shall be instituted upon the proposal of two or more Members of [the] Control Yuan" -- Li said it is disputable whether the term "public functionary" encompasses the president and vice president.
The PFP legislators said they would file a request to the Council of Grand Justices for interpretation of the article.
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