New post a challenge for Wu

Supreme Prosecutors Office Chief Prosecutor Wu Ying-chao. TAIPEI TIMES FILE PHOTO

Ever President Chen Shui-bian (陳水扁) nominated him as the new state public prosecutor general, Wu Ying-chao (吳英昭) has been in the spotlight. Wu, who is now the Supreme Prosecutors' Office Chief Prosecutor -- head of the country's 2,300 prosecutors -- will be sworn in to his new post next month.

Wu's knowledge and long experience from his 34-year service to the nation's legal system was a factor in his nomination. But his promotion was also regarded as a political move. Wu has excellent connections with both the pan-blue and pan-green camps, which is believed to be the main reason he was tapped.

For Wu, 65, the promotion is a belated one. Four years ago, when he was prosecutor general of the Taiwan High Court Prosecutors' Office, he had a chance to become state public prosecutor general. But current Minister of Justice Chen Ding-nan (陳定南) instead decided to transfer Wu to his current post. Lu Jen-fa (盧仁發), who is retiring next month, was tapped to become state public prosecutor general instead. Wu regarded his transfer by Chen Ding-nan's as a "demotion," because the Taiwan High Court Prosecutors' Office's prosecutor general is the second highest position in the prosecution system.

Wu's as a Chiayi native was also one of the reasons why he became the president's favorite candidate for the seat.

Chen Ding-nan is the top authority for all the administrative and personnel affairs of the country's prosecutors. But the state public prosecutor general has the real authority to order or direct all the prosecutors for investigation.

According to tradition, when a state public prosecutor general is retiring or resigning, the justice minister will propose proper candidates for the president to approve. However, in Wu's case, the tradition did not apply.

Vice Justice Minister Hsieh Wen-ding (謝文定) was reported to be Chen Ding-nan's favorite candidate. But this time around, he didn't get the job. When approached, Chen Ding-nan said that he won't have any problem dealing with Wu in the future.

"It is my job to propose proper candidates, but it is the president's job to appoint [a candidate to] the post," Chen Ding-nan said. "Wu is an outstanding and experienced senior prosecutor. I have faith that he can do this job well."

When Wu's nomination was announced, the Judicial Reform Foundation immediately held a press conference and said that Wu's nomination was not welcome.

"Wu is a more conservative type, and that goes against the idea of the judicial reform that we have been working hard for since 1999," a press release by the foundation said.

In response to the foundation's statement, Wu urged the public to have confidence in him.

"I think it is unfair to make such a comment about me at this time, since I have not yet taken the office," Wu said."How do they know I'm not reform-minded since I have not done or achieved anything yet?"

After Wu takes his oath of office, his priority will be handling the Lafayette-class frigate scandal and the March 19 assassination attempt on the president and vice president. Wu said that he's ready to tackle both problems.

"When the president interviewed me last Wednesday, he asked me whether I will have problems dealing with the justice minister and members of the Prosecutors Reform Foundation," Wu said. "I told him that they will not be a problem and I am all ready for all kinds of challenges."

Wu's over the state public prosecutor general's office will balance the political tug-of-war in the justice system because current Supreme Court President Wu Chi-bin (吳啟賓) was his classmate when both of them were trained at the boot camp for prosecutors and judges in 1969. Wu Ying-chao graduated with a law degree from Soochow University in 1963.

In fact, Wu Ying-chao has been prosecutor-general of district prosecutors' offices in Taitung, Ilan, Tainan, Panchiao, Taipei and the Taiwan High Court Prosecutors' Office as well as the director of the Ministry of Justice's eternal affairs department and the prosecutor's department. His services as the head of these offices were affirmed by the president but he was not supported by local prosecutors. He has a reputation for being tough toward his co-workers.

"It will be a pain in the neck for either the plaintiffs or the defendants if a case is pending for decades," Wu explained. "As a result, I will ask my prosecutors to speed up their investigative processes and close the case as soon as possible ... Prosecutors must be fast and accurate. No mistakes by prosecutors can be tolerated."

According to the Prosecutors Reform Foundation, it listed 102 prosecutor-generals who are qualified to be nominated as the state public prosecutor general this year. Wu was one of them. The foundation also held an informal election for its members from different prosecutors' offices, to select their favorite candidate for state public prosecutor general. Wu was not on the final list.

"What does that mean? It is a sign that Wu hasn't won our hearts -- and we don't trust him, either," a Taipei prosecutor, who wished to remain anonymous, said.