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DPP pans prosecutors for probe

The Democratic Progressive Party (DPP) yesterday criticized Taipei prosecutors’ investigation into alleged corruption by DPP Legislator Kuo Wen-chen (郭玟成), saying the money Kuo accepted was a political donation, not a bribe as prosecutors have argued.

Taipei prosecutors on Friday went to the Legislature Yuan and summoned Kuo for questioning. They brought with them a warrant in case Kuo refused to cooperate, in which case the prosecutors could have arrested him.

Kuo submitted to the prosecutors’ questioning, and after he answered their questions, prosecutors applied with the Taipei District Court late on Friday night to detain Kuo. The prosecutors’ released a press statement saying they suspected Kuo of receiving NT$2 million (US$60,000) in bribes in late 2006 in return for lobbying for a transportation company, Solar Bus Company.

Prosecutors alleged that because the bus company ran bus routes without permits from the Ministry of Transportation and Communication’s Taiwan Area National Freeway Bureau, Kuo intervened and requested the bureau to refrain from punishing the company.

The Taipei District Court yesterday rejected the prosecutors’ request, but ordered Kuo released on NT$5 million bail and prohibited him from moving from his current residence.

Kuo told reporters yesterday that he was clean and the money was a political donation he received one month before the legislative election in December 2006.

Saying political donations were part of the country’s democratic system, DPP Chairperson Tsai Ing-wen (蔡英文) yesterday said prosecutors had to be careful when dealing with cases related to political donations and corruption investigations.

Tsai said she did not have all the information regarding the case concerning Kuo, but that in terms of judiciary procedure alone, the prosecutors did not follow due process by summoning Kuo first. Tsai said this reminded her of the way prosecutors treated DPP Yunlin County Commissioner Su Chih-fen (蘇治芬) and DPP Chiayi County Commissioner Chen Ming-wen (陳明文). Both were arrested and detained on corruption allegations without being summoned for questioning in advance.

The Judiciary is biased in its treatment of DPP officials, Tsai said.

At a separate setting yesterday, DPP caucus whip Ker Chien-ming (柯建銘) said the money that the prosecutors alleged was a bribe “is clearly a political donation, not a bribe.”

The DPP caucus and Kuo’s voters in his Kaohsiung constituency believe Kuo is clean, Ker said.

Ker criticized the prosecutors for showing contempt of the Legislative Yuan by trying to arrest Kuo in the legislature without summoning him for questioning in advance. Legislative Speaker Wang Jin-pyng (王金平) must lodge a protest with the Ministry of Justice, Ker said.
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