The Presidential Office yesterday issued a brief statement expressing gratitude for the hard work over nearly a year by the task force investigating last year's election-eve assassination attempt on President Chen Shui-bian (
"The president and the vice president, being the persons concerned in the shooting, respect both the investigators and prosecutors' professionalism in the investigation," the statement said. "They hope the task force will continue to take a prudent approach in their investigation and that the truth will soon be uncovered."
The Presidential Office also expressed hope that the governing and opposition parties could reconcile, as the truth about the March 19 assassination attempt is gradually made clearer.
In separate comments, Lu yesterday dismissed claims by pan-blue camp members that the named suspect was merely a "scapegoat."
"Unlike the old [Chinese Nationalist Party (KMT)] administration which ... would arrest people at will in the middle of night and then announce that the case had been solved, the government led by President Chen and I attach great important to human rights and legal procedures, and therefore would not name someone in relation to a case without solid evidence," the vice president said.
"I am grateful for the breakthrough in the case, which has proven both President Chen and I innocent in the shooting," Lu added, referring to the claim made by pan-blue camp politicians and supporters that the shooting was staged by Chen to sway sympathy votes in his favor.
Meanwhile, Premier Frank Hsieh (
The premier added that if necessary the government could invite Henry Lee (
Hsieh also issued the directive that investigators should focus on whether the alleged shooter Chen Yi-hsiung (
Hsieh yesterday said he was first informed of the news on the investigation by Interior Minister Su Jia-chyuan (
Su said he in turn had been informed earlier that day by the director of the National Police Administration of a "major breakthrough" in the case.
"I did not know then any details," Su said, adding that he would respect the results of the investigation brought forth by the State Public Prosecutor General's Office.
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