TSU suspends lawmaker after indictment for fraud

Taiwan Solidarity Union (TSU) Legislator Huang Cheng-che (黃政哲) had his party membership suspended yesterday following his indictment on charges of breach of trust and fraud last Wednesday.

The TSU Central Executive Committee's decision will be referred to the party's Central Review Committee and if the latter approves the decision, Huang's legislative seat will be taken by Lin Chih-chia (林志嘉), the party's secretary-general.

Huang was charged with paying bribes, as well as committing fraud and breach of trust in an investigation into suspected irregularities involved in an engineering project that is part of an access road to a station on the high-speed railway in Tainan County.

Some committee members said that the decision should have been delayed until after the Dec. 9 Taipei and Kaohsiung elections, while others believe Huang is innocent until proven guilty, Lin added.

TSU sources said Huang was allowed to defend himself during the meeting. He claimed his indictment was an "election ploy" and that some statements in the indictment were wrong.

Ho Min-hao (何敏豪), a Central Executive Committee member, said an indicted member must be fired immediately, as the various political parties are clamoring for "integrity" and "clean politics."

Meanwhile, Lin stressed that the TSU's candidate for Kaohsiung mayor, Lo Chih-ming (羅志明), was still in the race and would campaign until the last minute.