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Court rules to extend Chen's detention

The Taipei District Court yesterday announced it would continue to detain former president Chen Shui-bian (陳水扁), who is currently hospitalized with several illnesses.

Taipei District Court spokesperson Huang Chun-ming (黃俊明) announced the decision late yesterday afternoon.

“The court has ruled to continue [Chen’s] detention because the reasons for his original detention still exist. The defendant’s [Chen] detention will be extended by two months, starting from May 26,” Huang said.

The reasons for Chen’s detention, as cited by the court, include the fear that Chen would collude with witnesses or try to abscond, and because Chen has been charged with serious crimes for which he could be sentenced to five years or more in prison if convicted.

After evaluating medical reports from the Banciao branch of Taipei County Hospital, where Chen is being treated, the district court said today’s hearing has been canceled.

Presiding Judge Tsai Shou-hsun (蔡守訓) had scheduled today’s court date to summon Su Chih-cheng (蘇志誠), a top aide to former president Lee Teng-hui (李登輝), and former Presidential Office deputy secretary-general Ma Yung-cheng (馬永成) in the trial over Chen’s alleged embezzlement of the presidential “state affairs” fund.

The district court did not announce a new date.

The former president has been on hunger strike since Thursday after he returned to the Taipei Detention Center following his detention hearing. He appeared physically weak in court and later that day issued a statement saying he would not appeal any verdict in the case and would immediately dismiss his attorneys and stop calling witnesses.

Had he appeared in court today, Chen would have declared his decision to dismiss his lawyers directly to the judge, his lawyers said.

“He decided to dismiss his lawyers because he is very disappointed in the judicial system and he want to protest against the system,” said Shih Yi-ling (石宜琳), one of Chen’s attorneys.

“We will still urge him to be brave and face [the trial], because this is only the first trial and there are still second and third [trials] to come,” he said.

If Chen does dismiss his lawyers, the district court will arrange for a court-appointed attorney to represent him.

Chen has said he would not eat or drink until Sunday to show his support for the Democratic Progressive Party’s (DPP) rally scheduled for that day to protest the government’s China-leaning policies.

He has been on two hunger strikes since his incarceration, but ended them after his wife and family pleaded with him to start eating.

Chinese Nationalist Party (KMT) Legislator Lo Shu-lei (羅淑蕾) said she was “bored” by the former president’s hunger strikes.

“[He] has launched similar campaigns again and again. We all feel bored now. [This proves that] you cannot teach an old dog new tricks,” Lo said.

ADDITIONAL REPORTING BY FLORA WANG
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