Cheng Wen-lung (鄭文龍), who previously served as an attorney for former president Chen Shui-bian (陳水扁), yesterday hinted that the former president could re-hire him and other attorneys to file any appeal against the ruling in Chen’s case.
The Taipei District Court is set to announce its verdict tomorrow for the former president and 13 co-defendants in cases related to the presidential state affairs fund, a land deal in Taoyuan County’s Longtan Township (龍潭), a deal involving the Nangang Exhibition Hall, money-laundering, influence-peddling and profiteering.
The crimes of which Chen is accused were allegedly committed during his two presidential terms from 2000 to last year. Chen faces a maximum sentence of life imprisonment, but can appeal the verdict.
PHOTO: PATRICK LIN, AFP
Speaking to reporters yesterday outside the Taipei Detention Center where Chen is being detained, Cheng said “it is possible” that Chen would re-hire his attorneys to defend him in appealing the district court’s ruling, which the former president expects to include heavy sentences.
Cheng said that if Chen appeals the district court’s ruling and re-hires his previous attorneys, they would be ready with arguments to be submitted to the High Court.
Cheng, Shih Yi-lin (石宜琳) and Hung Kwei-san (洪貴參) served as Chen’s attorneys until he dismissed them all in May, while retracting requests to call witnesses and refusing to answer questions in court to protest what he called an unfair justice system. The dismissal followed a decision by the district court to keep Chen in detention because it said he could collude with witnesses or flee the country.
After Chen dismissed his attorneys, the district court immediately assigned two court-appointed attorneys to represent him.
In response to a rumor that the court could set Chen’s bail at NT$600 million [US$20 million], Cheng said: “[Chen] probably would not be able to come up with even NT$60 million, let alone NT$600 million.”
Chen has been incarcerated since Dec. 30. He has denied the charges and says his detention and trial amount to political persecution by the administration of President Ma Ying-jeou (馬英九) and the Chinese Nationalist Party (KMT).
At a separate setting yesterday, the Democratic Progressive Party’s Central Executive Committee filed a motion in support of Chen’s judicial rights and called for him to be released after the first ruling. The committee also instructed Tainan Mayor Hsu Tain-tsair (許添財) to form a task force to assess plans on how to support Chen.
During the meeting yesterday, committee chairman Chang Tien-chin (張天欽) also briefed the attendees on events that could be held from tomorrow through Sept. 23, when the current term of Chen’s detention is set to expire.
After the committee meeting, Hsu told the media that concrete contents of the plan would depend on how the case evolves.
Meanwhile, Chen’s office said yesterday that Chen’s supporters plan to protest outside the Taipei District Court tomorrow.
“Some 300 to 500 people from various groups will gather outside the court to protest the sentencing because they think he is not guilty and detaining him is wrong,” Chiang Chih-ming (江志銘), secretary of Chen’s office, said by telephone.
He denied a local media report that Chen’s supporters plan to storm the court if they consider the sentence harsh.
“I have not heard they want to storm the court,” Chiang said. “They only want to express their disapproval.”
ADDITIONAL REPORTING BY CNA AND DPA
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