A controversial Hualien prosecutor made headlines again for leading a rally to protest the nomination of one of his supervisors as the nation's first state public prosecutor-general on Tuesday.
"Discipline me if it makes you feel happy. I do not care about punishments," Prosecutor Lee Tzu-chun (
"As a normal person, I have the right to stand on the street to express my opinions," Lee said later, after he was informed he had been given two demerits, a serious punishment.
PHOTO: YANG YI-CHUNG, TAIPEI TIMES
The insouciant attitude of Lee toward official discipline has made it difficult for the Ministry of Justice to rein him in.
Since it is very difficult to suspend a prosecutor for inappropriate behavior, given the high threshold required for proof, Lee has become a nightmare for ministry officials and his supervisors at the Hualien office.
"Lee's recent frequent appearances on TV talk shows, during which he has criticized his colleagues for failing to bring alleged corrupt officials to court, and claimed that he could improve the situation if he was in charge of high-profile corruption cases, have enraged his fellow prosecutors nationwide," Lin Ching-tsung (
Lin said many prosecutors have expressed their dissatisfaction with Lee's actions in remarks posted on a ministry Web site. He said the ministry should do something to resolve the friction.
A lead prosecutor for the Taipei District Prosecutors' Office, who used to be Lee's supervisor at the Hualien District Prosecutors' Office and asked not to be named, said the Hualien office had given Lee a reduced workload for the past 10 years in a bid to stop him from causing trouble, but that just provided Lee with a lot of free time in the office.
"How can a prosecutor who contributes so little to his office judge and criticize other prosecutors and his supervisors?" the lead prosecutor said, adding "It was a nightmare to work with him."
However, Lee still has some friends in the prosecutorial system.
"On the ministry Web site, some prosecutors have noted that Lee has pointed out some flaws in the nation's prosecutorial system," Lin Ching-tsung said.
"Despite his [Lee's] controversies, he is a very warm person and a good person to talk to," said Lin Zai-pei (林在培), a prosecutor with the Shilin District Prosecutors' Office.
Lee made headlines for the first time in January 2004 when he summoned President Chen Shui-bian (
The government's Committee on the Discipline of Public Functionaries had ruled that the elected head of state deserves due respect.
By recklessly summoning Chen for questioning, Lee had obstructed the president's work in leading the country and serving the people, the committee said.
The committee blamed Lee for mailing a subpoena to Chen, without informing his superiors at the local Prosecutors' Office, let alone getting their approval as is usual.
In December 2004, Lee took the unprecedented step of secretly sending his indictment of You for vote-buying to the Hualien District Court without first getting the local Prosecutors' Office's approval.
His action was condemned by the discipline committee.
As a result, Lee was demoted one rank and had his salary reduced, but he shrugged off the punishment.
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