Chinese Nationalist Party (KMT) Legislator Chiu Yi (
The district court sentenced Chiu to 50 days in jail. His sentence was reduced to 25 days in accordance with a sentence commutation statute passed last year. Chiu's sentence can also be commuted to a fine. Chiu yesterday said he would appeal the ruling to the Taiwan High Court.
"Chiu Yi failed to offer solid evidence that Yu illegally lobbied for a construction company that won a construction bid from the Taiwan Power Company," the Taipei District Court ruling said.
The ruling added that Chiu's remarks had jeopardized Yu's reputation and were not protected under the freedom of speech.
According to the ruling, in March 2006, Chiu told the TBVS political talk show, 2100 Quan Min Kai Jiang (Speaking Your Mind at 2100), that a construction company was able to win a NT$5 billion (US$153 million) bid from the Taiwan Power Company because Yu was behind the company.
Chiu said his accusation was based on solid evidence, but when the court asked him to provide the evidence, he told the court the accusation against Yu was based on his suspicions.
Chiu has been facing multiple slander suits for revealing scandals without offering proof.
Chiu was also indicted in March 2006 for alleging that DPP Legislator Hsu Jung-shu (許榮淑) was involved in Futung Group's embezzlement of several billions of dollars.
He alleged Hsu had traded 600 Futung Group stocks before it was forced to cease trading on the stock market.
Prosecutors found Chiu's accusation was untrue.
This case was not heard in district court because Chiu and Hsu settled out of court.
Meanwhile, in other news, DPP Legislators Chiang Kuo-ching (江國慶) and Huang Chao-hui (黃昭輝) on Friday were found guilty in a slander lawsuit brought against them by the leader of the 2006 anti-President Chen Shui-bian (陳水扁) movement, Shih Ming-teh (施明德).
The two legislators were sued for calling Shih a "homeless mad dog," a "pervert" and a "bastard" during a press conference held in September 2006.
The Taipei district court handed down the verdict with a ruling that Chiang and Huang each had to pay NT$100,000 (US$3,000) to Shih in compensation.
Both legislators said they would appeal the case.
Chang Fu-chung (
Additional reporting by staff writer
POLAM KOPITIAM CASE: Of the two people still in hospital, one has undergone a liver transplant and is improving, while the other is being evaluated for a liver transplant A fourth person has died from bongkrek acid poisoning linked to the Polam Kopitiam (寶林茶室) restaurant in Taipei’s Far Eastern Sogo Xinyi A13 Department Store, the Ministry of Health and Welfare said yesterday, as two other people remain seriously ill in hospital. The first death was reported on March 24. The man had been 39 years old and had eaten at the restaurant on March 22. As more cases of suspected food poisoning involving people who had eaten at the restaurant were reported by hospitals on March 26, the ministry and the Taipei Department of Health launched an investigation. The Food and
The long-awaited Taichung aquarium is expected to open next year after more than a decade of development. The building in Cingshui District (清水) is to feature a large ocean aquarium on the first floor, coral display area on the second floor, a jellyfish tank and Dajia River (大甲溪) basin display on the third, a river estuary display and restaurant on the fourth, and a cafe and garden on the fifth. As it is near Wuci Fishing Port (梧棲漁港), many are expecting the opening of the aquarium to bring more tourism to the harbor. Speaking at the city council on Monday, Taichung City Councilor
A fourth person has died in a food poisoning outbreak linked to the Xinyi (信義) branch of Malaysian restaurant chain Polam Kopitiam (寶林茶室) in Taipei, Deputy Minister of Health and Welfare Victor Wang (王必勝) said on Monday. It was the second fatality in three days, after another was announced on Saturday. The 40-year-old woman experienced multiple organ failure in the early hours on Monday, and the family decided not to undergo emergency resuscitation, Wang said. She initially showed signs of improvement after seeking medical treatment for nausea, vomiting and diarrhea, but her condition worsened due to an infection, he said. Two others who
Taiwanese should be mindful when visiting China, as Beijing in July is likely to tighten the implementation of policies on national security following the introduction of two regulations, a researcher said on Saturday. China on Friday unveiled the regulations governing the law enforcement and judicial activities of national security agencies. They would help crack down on “illegal” and “criminal” activities that Beijing considers to be endangering national security, according to reports by China’s state media. The definition of what constitutes a national security threat in China is vague, Taiwan Thinktank researcher Wu Se-chih (吳瑟致) said. The two procedural regulations are to provide Chinese