Democratic Progressive Party (DPP) presidential candidate Frank Hsieh (謝長廷) said yesterday that his accusation that a prosecutor got his job thanks to Legislative Speaker Wang Jin-pyng's (王金平) was a "scandal."
"As the former premier and [DPP's] presidential candidate, I take responsibility for every word I said," Hsieh told reporters on his way to the DPP's Central Executive Committee meeting yesterday.
On Tuesday, Hsieh alleged that prosecutor Wu Wen-chung (吳文忠), a member of the Special Investigation Task Force in charge of investigating allegations against him, was recruited after he asked Wang to lobby for him.
"Prosecutors of the Special Investigation Task Force are of prominent status. I hope he can respond to this question honestly," Hsieh said yesterday.
"This is a scandal because the Special Investigation Task Force is supposed to investigate cases involving politicians, but he had a politician lobby for him," Hsieh said. "If he believes I've harmed his reputation or lied, as a person who practices law, he can sue me or summon Wang and State Public Prosecutor-General [Chen Tsung-ming (
Hsieh also urged Wang, who dismissed Hsieh's allegation on Tuesday, not to tell lies.
Wang yesterday, denied he had exercised influence to help Wu get the job.
Wang said Hsieh suggested he not "comment" on the matter to the press when Hsieh spoke to him on the phone on Tuesday afternoon.
He issued a statement on Tuesday saying that Hsieh suggested he "not make comments," but Hsieh's office said what Hsieh actually said was suggest Wang "not tell a lie."
Responding to the discrepancy between his statement and that of Hsieh's office, Wang said: "I don't believe [Hsieh] would have said that."
Chen Yun-nan (陳雲南), a spokesman for the Supreme Prosecutors' Office and its special investigation panel, yesterday said all prosecutors on the panel were elected independently by the Supreme Prosecutors Office, and none were introduced by politicians.
Wu meanwhile told reporters yesterday that Hsieh's accusation was groundless.
He said he is one of five prosecutors investigating Hsieh and his assistants, and wondered why Hsieh had singled him out.
Meanwhile, the DPP caucus yesterday threw its support behind Hsieh, urging Chen Tsung-ming to investigate whether Wu had crossed the line in taking on an investigation into a political donation case involving Hsieh.
DPP legislative whip Wang Sing-nan (王幸男) urged Chen Tsung-ming to conduct a personnel reshuffle if the political donation case relating to the Kaohsiung Development Association -- a support group of Hsieh -- does not fall within Wu's duty.
Wang also alleged Wu took on the investigation to try to sabotage Hsieh's chances in the upcoming presidential poll.
DPP Legislator Kao Chien-chih (
"It is very hard to believe Wu did not have a political purpose behind his move to reopen the case," he said.
Additional reporting by Shih Hsiu-chuan and Rich Chang
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