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Justice minister decries legislative interference

Minister of Justice Chen Ding-nan (陳定南) said yesterday that certain legislators were taking advantage of their positions to affect the judicial system.

Meanwhile, Chinese Nationalist Party (KMT) and People First Party (PFP) lawmakers were questioning prosecutors about not investigating first lady Wu Shu-chen (吳淑珍) and the profits she has made through investing in the stock market.

"Prosecutors are working on it. However, lawmakers do not have the authority to tell prosecutors how to do their jobs. It is a shame," Chen said while he answering questions from KMT Legislator Cho Po-yuan (卓伯源).

At the same time, Cho was saying to Chen that prosecutors should have begun an investigation of Wu after the media publicized the issue.

Chen said that whether to investigate, summon or indict someone is up to prosecutors and is a decision that nobody can override.

"Please respect our prosecutors. They know how to do their jobs," Chen said.

"As for this case, I assure you that prosecutors are investigating it, but I cannot tell you what they are working on due to a gag order," Chen said.

With the latest edition of Next Magazine in his hand, PFP Legislator Chou Hsi-wei (周錫瑋) referred to allegations that Wu had taken advantage of her connections with important businesspeople in order get inside information so that she never lost money in stock trades.

"According to the story in the magazine, Wu earned at least NT$1.3 million in just four months last year," Chou said.

"How can she always win? It is difficult to persuade the public that no special influence was involved," Chou said.

In response to Chou's comments, Presidential Office Spokesman James Huang (黃志芳) said that the issue was just a piece of propaganda that the pan-blue camp was using against the pan-green camp.

"The first lady used only her own name, in addition her son Chen Chih-chung (陳致中) and her daughter Chen Hsiung-yu's (陳幸妤) names, to open stock market accounts, and they paid all necessary taxes as well. All the evidence is retrievable," Huang said.

"KMT and PFP politicians have made these false accusations for the election and that is a shame," Huang said.

According to Next Magazine, Wu opened accounts in her name, as well as her son's and her daughter's names, for stock investments beginning in June last year.

The amount of cash that Wu traded within six months was estimated to be at least NT$17 billion.

The story also alleged that Wu always managed to come out ahead in her trades. In addition, the magazine said that she did not honestly report her taxes from the profits that she earned through these investments.
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