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Lawmaker tells DPP to expel Gao

"The DPP expelled [former] DPP legislator-at-large Chiu Yeong-jen and removed him from his job immediately after he was indicted on charges of embezzling money from the Bureau of National Health Insurance."

Wu Yu-sheng, KMT legislator

Chinese Nationalist Party (KMT) Legislator Wu Yu-sheng (吳育昇) yesterday urged the Democratic Progressive Party (DPP) to immediately expel DPP Legislator Gao Jyh-peng (高志鵬), who was indicted on corruption charges by Nantou prosecutors on Monday.

Wu told a press conference that the DPP should abide by its integrity rules and suspend Gao's rights as a party member, relieve him of his duties and remove him from the party's legislator-at-large lineup for next year's elections.

"The DPP expelled [former] DPP legislator-at-large Chiu Yeong-jen (邱永仁) and removed him from his job immediately [on April 13 last year] after he was indicted on charges of embezzling money from the Bureau of National Health Insurance," Wu said.

"The DPP should deal with Gao's indictment using the same standard and not apply a different standard just because he is close to President Chen Shui-bian (陳水扁)," he said.

Nantou prosecutors on Monday charged Gao, who also serves as director of the DPP's Central Disciplinary Committee, with accepting bribes from a businessman in exchange for lobbying for him.

Prosecutors sought a nine-year sentence for Gao, who has denied the charges.

Prosecutors first arrested Yao Sheng-chih (姚昇志), deputy director of Gao's office, in late August and indicted him on Monday on the same charges.

Prosecutors alleged that Yao received NT$2 million (US$60,000) in April from a construction company in exchange for his promise to lobby the National Property Administration (NPA) to help the company win the rights to lease a piece of land belonging to the Taichung City Government.

Prosecutors said Gao was suspected of taking NT$500,000 from the NT$2 million bribe, adding that the legislator summoned NPA Director Kuo Wu-po (郭武博) and other agency officials to attend legislative meetings so he could ask them about renting the land to Chen's company.

Wu also urged the DPP's Integrity Committee to consider disciplining Vice President Annette Lu (呂秀蓮), former DPP chairman Yu Shyi-kun and National Security Council Secretary-General Mark Chen (陳唐山), who were indicted last month on suspicion of misusing their special allowance funds.

"The committee should not be afraid to discipline them just because it wants to maintain party unity," Wu said.

DPP rules stipulate that public officials, including legislators, indicted on corruption charges are subject to revocation of their rights as party members, including standing in elections. Once the party takes up the case, the Clean Governance Committee has to launch an inquiry into the matter and recommend punishment to the Central Review Committee, where Gao serves as chairman.

Meanwhile, DPP Secretary-General Cho Jung-tai (卓榮泰) said yesterday that the party would deal with Gao's corruption indictment after he has given a clear account of the matter to the party.

Cho said the DPP would begin due process in accordance with party regulations after hearing Gao's explanation.

The Central Review Committee stripped first lady Wu Shu-jen (吳淑珍) of her rights as a party member after she was indicted on corruption charges in connection with the president's alleged misuse of "state affairs fund." The committee has yet to hear the cases of Lu, Mark Chen and Yu.

Additional reporting Ko Shu-ling
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