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Commissioner debunks 319 rumors

Criminal Investigation Bureau Commissioner Hou You-yi yesterday gestures in the legislature's judiciary committee in response to questions regarding the 319 shooting incident. PHOTO: GEORGE TSORNG, TAIPEI TIMES

Speaking in response to legislators' questions yesterday, Criminal Investigation Bureau (CIB) Commissioner Hou You-yi (侯友宜) said that he would take full responsibility for the results of the police investigation into the election-eve shooting of President Chen Shui-bian (陳水扁) and Vice President Annette Lu (呂秀蓮) last year, while admitting that it is indirect evidence that links suspect Chen Yi-hsiung (陳義雄) to the shooting.

Ho made his comments in response to legislators after presenting a report to the legislature's judiciary committee yesterday. Since police announced Monday the breakthrough that suspect Chen Yi-hsiung -- who committed suicide shortly after the incident -- was most likely to have been the gunman behind the shooting attempt, opposition lawmakers have been vocal in their doubts about the legitimacy of the police investigation's results.

Fanning the discontent have been recent rumors -- ?that the police had pressured Chen Yi-hsiung's family to "confess" to his role in the murder and that he had not actually left any suicide notes -- ?by methods such as placing the family under house arrest.

Speaking in response to questions from People First Party (PFP) legislators such as Lee Chin-hua (李慶華) and Sun Ta-chen (孫大千) about the reports, Ho said yesterday that he "respected" all doubts about the investigation and that he would take full responsibility for its results.

Regarding the rumors of house arrest and the fake suicide notes, Ho emphasized that the police had held members of the Chen family for less than 24 hours.

Furthermore, said Ho, five members of the Chen family in total had confessed to seeing the suicide notes, and the police's wire tap records indicated that the Chen family had indeed destroyed evidence.

On the location of the gun that was allegedly used to fire shots at President Chen and Vice President Lu, Hou admitted that it would be rather difficult to locate, adding, "This is probably the most difficult case in my life."
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