Former president Lee Teng-hui (李登輝) is willing to reach a settlement with People First Party (PFP) Chairman James Soong (宋楚瑜) over a lawsuit Soong filed last year against Lee for defamation, Lee's attorney said yesterday.
Wellington Ku (顧立雄) made the offer on behalf of Lee at the Taiwan High Court, which opened a second trial of the case yesterday.
The Taiwan High Court first opened the trial on March 2, with the judge suggesting a settlement between the two parties concerned.
Newspaper statement
According to Ku, Lee said that he was willing to accept the judge's settlement proposal and would publish a statement in a newspaper to clarify his alleged remarks about Soong and make public his terms for a settlement. Ku said that he had submitted the statement to the judge and will wait for Soong's response.
People First Party (PFP) spokesman Hsieh Kung-pin (
Lee lost the suit to Soong after the Taipei District Court ruled in November last year that Lee must pay NT$10 million (US$306,000) to Soong and publish an apology in nine local newspapers.
This was in compensation for damaging Soong's reputation by alleging in public that the PFP chairman played mahjong on the night of April 10, 2004, ignoring opposition pan-blue supporters who were protesting in the streets against what they alleged was an unfair presidential election.
Lee argued that he did not identify Soong in the remarks and said that he would appeal.
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