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Wang vows to protect legislature

Legislative Speaker Wang Jin-pyng (王金平) yesterday vowed to protect the dignity of the legislature after prosecutors took a Democratic Progressive Party (DPP) legislator directly from the Legislative Yuan for questioning in connection with a bribery investigation.

Wang made the promise after the DPP caucus visited him yesterday morning to voice their dissatisfaction with Taipei prosecutors, who took DPP Legislator Kuo Wen-chen (郭玟成) from his legislative office on Friday.

“Kuo became the first lawmaker in the legislature's history to have been taken away for questioning by prosecutors directly from the legislature although prosecutors could have subpoenaed him for questioning instead,” DPP caucus secretary-general Gao Jyh-peng (高志鵬) told Wang.

Gao said he was worried that other prosecutors might imitate Taipei prosecutors' action.

Wang said he would communicate his concerns about the prosecutors' action to the Executive Yuan to prevent it from happening again.

Wang said although the prosecutors had informed him of the investigation prior to their arrival, he did not have the authority to approve or reject their investigation within the Legislative Yuan.

Prosecutors had arrived at the legislature on Friday with a warrant of arrest in case Kuo refused to cooperate.

Kuo submitted to the prosecutors' questioning, and after answering their questions, prosecutors applied with the Taipei District Court late on Friday night to detain him.

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, the Solar Bus Company.

Prosecutors said the bus company had been operating without a permit from the Taiwan Area National Freeway Bureau and alleged that Kuo intervened and asked the bureau to refrain from penalizing the company.

The court rejected the prosecutors' request, but ruled that Kuo be released on NT$5 million bail and prohibited him from moving from his current residence.

In his defense, Kuo described the money as a political donation he received a month before the legislative election in December 2006.
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