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Justice post puts pan-blue campaign leader on the spot

A pan-blue presidential supporters group leader who said he was unaware that a China-based businessman leading the blue camp's campaign activities in northern China was a fugitive was the head of the Ministry of Justice Investigation Bureau when the businessman was indicted.

Lien-Soong Supporters' Association Deputy Head Liao Cheng-hao (廖正豪) said on Monday he did not know about charges against Taiwanese Business Association in Shenyang chairman Chang Yang (張揚).

Chang, whose real name is Chang Yi-song (張益松), was indicted in 1995 for violating the Banking Law (銀行法), forging documents and breach of trust.

Liao was director-general of the investigation bureau from 1995 to 1996. He was promoted to justice minister in 1996, a post he held for two years.

"I did not realize that he is a wanted fugitive," Liao said on Monday.

"If he is really a fugitive, we will ask him to leave our campaign group and stop helping us organize any campaign activities immediately," Liao said.

As of press time yesterday, Liao had not relieved Chang of his campaign duties.

When approached this week by reporters in Shenyang -- the pan-blues' base of operations in northern China -- Chang did not admit to being a fugitive.

He said that he was a normal businessman who was trying to do something for the political party he supported.

"I never received any summons. So, how can I be a fugitive?" Chang said.

Chang said that he had had an argument with a business partner who had later come back to Taiwan to file a suit against him. Chang said, however, that as he had never gone back to Taiwan he had not received the summons or attended any hearings.

In addition, Chang said that he would stop helping the pan-blue camp and resign his position at the campaign association if the "rumor" damaged the pan-blue alliance's reputation.

Democratic Progressive Party legislative caucus leader Tsai Huang-lang (蔡煌瑯) said that Chang was a fugitive last Monday.

Tsai questioned why fugitive criminals such as Chang, former Tuntex Group chairman Chen Yu-hao (陳由豪), former Central Broadcasting System president Gloria Chu (朱婉清) and former legislator Wu Tzer-yuan (伍澤元) were all Chinese Nationalist Party members and were now campaigning on behalf of the pan-blues.
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