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Lawmakers urge speedy probe into DPP officials' funds

A legislative committee yesterday asked prosecutors to speed up probes into the Democratic Progressive Party's (DPP) four presidential hopefuls' alleged misuse of their allowance funds.

The Organic Laws and Statutes Committee said investigators and prosecutors should increase their inquiry efforts and wrap up the cases in a speedy manner.

Opposition legislators questioned how the DPP presidential aspirants -- Vice President Annette Lu (呂秀蓮), Premier Su Tseng-chang (蘇貞昌), DPP Chairman Yu Shyi-kun and former premier Frank Hsieh (謝長廷) -- as well as Judicial Yuan President Weng Yueh-sheng (翁岳生) had handled their discretionary funds.

Double standards

The lawmakers also criticized prosecutors for adopting double standards in the indictments of former Chinese National Party (KMT) chairman Ma Ying-jeou (馬英九) and Tainan Mayor Hsu Tain-tsair (許添財), who is a member of the DPP.

In reply, Public Prosecutor- General Chen Tsung-ming (陳聰明) said he would summon head prosecutors nationwide to discuss the issue, seeking to set clear -- and preferably uniform -- standards.

KMT Legislator Chang Jen-hsiang (章仁香) said that Chen should have called the meeting earlier rather than wait until May. She also asked the judiciary to move into high gear and resolve the cases involving the DPP's four bigwigs as soon as possible.

Vice Minister of Justice Lee Chin-yung (李進勇) said that he agreed the meeting should have been called earlier and would be happy to see it happen sooner, but that he must respect Chen's decision.

Lee also said that indictments of different people would be different even if uniform standards were applied.

Dinner scandal

The committee also requested yesterday that the Ministry of Justice present within a week details on reports that Chen had dined with the first family's former doctor, Huang Fang-yen (黃芳彥), a suspect in the Sogo voucher scandal.

Lee admitted that Chen's conduct was inappropriate and that he should have exercised more prudence.

However, he urged the public to recognize Chen's sincerity in doing his job and respect the process by which he was elected as the nation's top prosecutor.

While opposition lawmakers have called for Chen's resignation, Lee said that the top prosecutor can only step down when his or her four-year term expires. He or she may be subject to reprimand or dismissal if found guilty of violating the Law on Discipline of Civil Servants (公務人員懲戒法).

Citing a statute regulating the conducts of prosecutors, KMT Legislator Kuo Su-chun (郭素春) said that Chen should have known better than to have made such a mistake.
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