Prosecutor says MOJ intervening in Hsieh investigation

Wu Wen-chung (吳文忠), a prosecutor from the Supreme Prosecutor Office's Special Investigation Panel, accused the Ministry of Justice yesterday of intervening in his investigations into several cases involving Democratic Progressive Party presidential candidate Frank Hsieh (謝長廷).

Wu that the ministry had asked him and three other prosecutors on the panel -- Chu Chao-liang (朱朝亮), Lee Hai-lung (李海龍) and Lin Che-hui -- to present reports on their investigations of Hsieh.

Wu the ministry's action indicated that it was attempting to interfere in the investigations.

Wu he believed that politicians being investigated had likely asked ministry officials to intervene.

He asked how prosecutors were supposed to perform their duties if politicians were allowed to interfere with investigations.

Lee Lin told reporters yesterday that they had handed over their reports to supervisors.

Deputy of Justice Lee Chin-yung (李進勇) yesterday said the ministry had asked the Supreme Prosecutors Office to investigate the truth of Hsieh's allegation that Wu got his job because of the influence of Legislative Speaker Wang Jin-pyng (王金平).

He said the ministry was not interfering in the investigations.

Hsieh also accused Wu of having tried to coerce former Kaohsiung Bureau of Urban Development director Wu Meng-teh (吳孟德) into incriminating Hsieh in exchange for a lighter sentence.

Wu last night amended his remarks, saying that he had misunderstood the ministry's instructions.

Wu his clarification after State Prosecutor-General Chen Tsung-ming (陳聰明) explained that he had given the instructions asking prosecutors to create the report.