Supporters of former president Chen Shui-bian (陳水扁) were yesterday involved in violent clashes with the police outside the Taipei District Court, where the former president and some of his former aides are being tried.
Hundreds of Chen’s supporters gathered outside the court building yesterday, wearing green T-shirts and carrying signs with slogans such as “Release A-bian now” and “No police state.”
Supporters staged a peaceful demonstration until the afternoon, when a man asked police officers guarding the court building whether he could go into the building to use the restroom.
PHOTO: WANG YI-SUNG, TAIPEI TIMES
Police officers refused his request, saying he was a familiar face among the protesters and that his attitude was provocative.
This angered fellow protesters, who shouted at the police. The verbal clashes soon turned into pushing and shoving, with police officers attempting to maintain order by forming lines with their shields.
Several protesters tried to break through the police line with their fists and began hitting the police shields with their signs.
While protesters and police clashed outside the courtroom, conflict also arose inside the courtroom.
A former city councilor who had been listening to the former president’s trial was escorted out of the courtroom yesterday after causing a commotion.
Wu Ching-yu (吳清游) had been sitting in on the former president’s trial when he suddenly shouted toward Presiding Judge Tsai Shou-hsun (蔡守訓): “There are so many available seats, why don’t you let more people in?”
At the time, there were dozens of empty seats in the courtroom. Because of the sudden loudness of his voice, many jumped in their seats.
Chen and his court-appointed attorney, who had been quietly discussing the case at the time, also stopped their conversation.
Bailiffs then escorted Wu out of the courtroom.
Chen and two of his former aides, office director Lin Teh-hsun (林德訓) and former Presidential Office deputy secretary-general Ma Yung-cheng (馬永成), as well as former director-general of the Presidential Office’s accounting department Fon Shui-lin (馮瑞麟), were summoned to appear in the Taipei District Court yesterday regarding Chen’s alleged misuse of his presidential “state affairs fund.”
Prosecutors say that more than NT$27 million (US$821,000) was withdrawn from the fund through the use of “inappropriate receipts” to claim reimbursements.
At the beginning of the trial, when Tsai asked Chen routine questions such as whether or not he knew his rights, Chen was silent as usual.
The court stenographer recorded “no answer” whenever Chen was asked to speak by the court.
Chen had previously told Tsai that he would not speak in his defense in court because he had not committed any crime. He also refused to plead guilty, call witnesses or cross-examine witnesses.
However, Chen broke his silence yesterday, exchanging whispers with his court-appointed attorney Tseng Te-rong (曾德榮).
When Tseng visited the detained former president at the Taipei Detention Center last month, Chen refused to see him, sending only a note to Tseng to tell him that he was doing this to protest against an unfair judicial system.
Palauan President Surangel Whipps Jr arrived in Taiwan last night to kick off his first visit to the country since beginning his second term earlier this year. After arriving at Taoyuan International Airport at around 6:30 pm, Whipps and his delegation were welcomed by Minister of Foreign Affairs Lin Chia-lung (林佳龍). Speaking to gathered media, the Palauan leader said he was excited and honored to be back in Taiwan on his first state visit to Taiwan since he was sworn in this January. Among those traveling with Whipps is Minister of State Gustav N. Aitaro, Public Infrastructure
President William Lai (賴清德) yesterday thanked Palau for its continued support of Taiwan's international participation, as Taipei was once again excluded from the World Health Assembly (WHA) currently taking place in Switzerland. "Palau has never stopped voicing support for Taiwan" in the UN General Assembly, the WHO and other UN-affiliated agencies, Lai said during a bilateral meeting with visiting Palau President Surangel Whipps Jr. "We have been profoundly touched by these endorsements," Lai said, praising the Pacific island nation's firm support as "courageous." Lai's remarks came as Taiwan was excluded for the ninth consecutive year from the WHA, which is being held in
RESOLUTIONS DEBATE: Taiwan’s allies said that UN and WHA resolutions cited by China and other nations ‘do not determine Taiwan’s participation in WHO activities’ A proposal to invite Taiwan to this year’s World Health Assembly (WHA) was rejected on Monday, resulting in Taipei’s absence from the annual meeting for a ninth consecutive year, although partners spoke up for Taiwan’s participation at the first day of the meeting. The first agenda item after the opening was a “two-on-two debate” on a proposal to invite Taiwan to participate at the WHA as an observer. Similar to previous years, two countries made statements in favor of the proposal, while two others expressed their opposition. Philippine Secretary of Health Teodoro Herbosa, president of the 78th WHA, accepted the WHA General Committee’s
At least three people died and more than a dozen were injured yesterday afternoon when a vehicle struck a group of pedestrians in New Taipei City’s Sansia District (三峽). The incident happened at about 4pm when a car rammed into pedestrians at an intersection near Bei Da Elementary School. Witnesses said the sedan, being driven at a high speed, ran a red light, knocking scooters out of the way and hitting students crossing the road before careening into a median near the intersection of Guocheng and Guoguang streets. The incident resulted in three deaths and 13 injuries, including the driver, a 78-year-old man
RSS