Lawmakers caught up in legal entanglements should not be allowed to serve on the legislature's Judicial Committee to prevent conflicts of interest, Democratic Progressive Party (DPP) lawmakers said yesterday.
To that end, DPP legislators Huang Wei-cher (黃偉哲), Eva Hsieh (謝欣霓) and Lee Kun-tse (李昆澤) yesterday jointly proposed amending the Organic Law of Legislative Committees (立法院各委員會組織法) to bar lawmakers who are indicted or sentenced to imprisonment and have not yet completed their jail terms from joining the Judicial Committee.
"A few lawmakers have long been keen on joining the Judicial Committee," Huang said.
Manipulation
"Some of them have even tried hard to head the committee so they can boss around the justice minister, prosecutors and influence the judicial system. It is a mockery of democracy," Huang said.
Huang was referring to Chinese Nationalist Party (KMT) Legislator Ho Chih-hui (
Ho has been indicted for corruption, theft and breach of trust, for which prosecutors have recommended an 18-year prison sentence.
Ho allegedly filed a loan application at the Hsinchu Commercial Bank in 1995 while he was Miaoli County commissioner because his wife was campaigning for the legislature and needed more funds.
Influence
The bank allegedly approved his application and loaned him NT$300 million (US$9.2 million), even though Ho's credit rating did not qualify him for such a large loan.
In 1997, Ho again allegedly took advantage of his position to approve a construction proposal by the Chiuchun Development Co. The approval was given even though the company had failed to propose a complete environmental protection plan for the project in Miaoli County.
Prosecutors claim that Ho received a bribe of NT$320 million from the company.
While Ho has said that he would like to remain on the committee during this legislative session, KMT Chairman Ma Ying-jeou (
Ma opposed
Ma yesterday confirmed that he had told Ho of his opposition and that Ho had promised to "go in this direction [Ma's]."
"I believe he understands my good intentions," Ma told reporters before going to the KMT caucus meeting held at noon yesterday.
Ma promised to improve the way he handles similar incidents in the future and settle the matter privately rather than through the media.
Ma made the comments in response to criticism from Legislative Speaker Wang Jin-pyng (王金平) earlier yesterday morning.
Hurt feelings
Wang said that Ma might want to consider conducting any maneuvering with the KMT caucus in private to avoid hurting the feelings of individual lawmakers.
Wang, however, dismissed suggestions by the media that Ma's move had been aimed at meddling in the affairs of the legislature and at encroaching on Wang's power.
Ho yesterday said that he would not insist on remaining a member of the Judicial Committee if other KMT lawmakers were interested in continuing to promote a judicial evaluation system.
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