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No need to search Chao home: official

Law enforcement officials did not search the Taipei residence of Chao Chien-ming (趙建銘), President Chen Shui-bian's (陳水扁) son-in-law who has been detained over allegations of insider trading, because "there is no need to do so," a prosecutor at the Taipei District Prosecutors' Office said yesterday.

Lin Pang-liang (林邦樑), assistant director of the office, said investigators had already gathered sufficient evidence from Chao's alleged accomplices in the case, and that prosecutors in charge of the investigation believed that after consulting with detectives from the Investigation Bureau, it was unnecessary to search Chao's home.

He denied news reports that Yen Ta-he (顏大和), chief of the Taipei District Prosecutors' Office, ordered investigators in a meeting on May 21 not to search Chao's home. Chao and his wife live in the Chen family's apartment.

Lin said that Yen did talk with two leading investigators -- not a dozen investigators as reported -- about the case on May 21, but he only exchanged views with them about how to subpoena Chao's father Chao Yu-chu (趙玉柱), who is also a suspect in the case. The issue of searching the workplaces and residences of people involved in the case was not broached, Lin said.

The decision to search or not to search a place is taken jointly by the prosecutors and investigators through discussion, Lin said.

Lin was responding to opposition lawmakers' criticism that prosecutors were pressured by their superior into making Chao's home off-limits to investigators, although he had been held in custody since May 25 pending the conclusion of the investigation.

Lin also explained that Dr Huang Fang-yen (黃芳彥), a close friend of the first family who was accused by an opposition lawmaker of transmitting to first lady Wu Shu-jen (吳淑珍) a large amount of gift vouchers given by a businessman, has been subpoenaed by the prosecutors but has asked for a leave of absence until next month.

Lin said the prosecutors leading the investigation into the voucher allegation will decide what to do next.

Huang, the deputy superintendent of Shin Kong Hospital in Taipei, is currently in the US for treatment of prostate cancer.

Opposition lawmakers claimed that he fled the country after being tipped off by friends in government that he was targeted for questioning by investigators looking into the alleged scandal surrounding the first lady.

In related news, in reaction to the rumor that Chao Chien-ming was going to be granted bail, former Democratic Progressive Party (DPP) Legislator Tuan Yi-kang (段宜康) said yesterday that if Chao were bailed out, then it would prove that the DPP is incapable of manipulating the judiciary because such a move would do the DPP no good.

"Everyone knows, for the DPP's good, that Chao should be sentenced to life imprisonment," Tuan said in a news conference. "Frankly speaking, though, Chao is just a scapegoat and outlet for the recent scandals."

"However, the DPP is a political party that respects justice. As soon as a detainee has enough reason to be released, he is supposed to be granted bail," Tuan said, adding that emotional and subjective judgments are harmful to the objectivity and independence of the judiciary.

Additional reporting by Jewel Huang
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