Democratic Progressive Party (DPP) Legislator William Lai (賴清德) yesterday asked Minister of Justice Wang Ching-feng (王清峰) to launch a probe into whether Premier Wu Den-yih (吳敦義) has tried to influence next month’s Nantou County commissioner election through illegal means.
In a closed-door meeting between the two at the Ministry of Justice, Lai told Wang prosecutors should investigate whether Wu asked gang members to scare Non-Partisan Party candidate Chen Chen-sheng (陳振盛) out of running in the election, which would violate the Criminal Code and the Recall Act of Public Servants (公職人員選舉罷免法).
In a written petition, Lai said Chen was threatened on Oct. 6 by a gang member, who told Chen he would be “taken care of” if he ran in the election. Lai said he suspected Wu was linked to the incident.
Lai urged prosecutors to probe the matter immediately because a month had already passed since the incident.
The ministry accepted Lai’s petition and said the case would be processed in accordance with the law.
Speaking to reporters afterward, Lai said Wang had declined to allow reporters to attend their meeting because she feared public scrutiny of the case.
“I urge the public to keep an eye on this case so that it is not forgotten,” he said.
Wu has been on the defensive since allegations surfaced that he has connections to organized crime.
Wu has conceded that he went on a trip to Bali, Indonesia, with a group that included Nantou County Commissioner Lee Chao-ching (李朝卿) and Chiang Chin-liang (江欽良), a former gangster.
Chiang, now chairman of the Tsaoyetun Night Market Association in Caotun Township (草屯), Nantou County, was convicted of murder in two separate cases: the slaying of a Changhua gangster and a Nantou County council member in 1983 and 1985 respectively.
On Tuesday, Wu’s lawyer filed a slander lawsuit against DPP Nantou County commissioner candidate Lee Wen-chung (李文忠) for saying Wu had links to organized crime.
In other news, a group of academics and Chinese Nationalist Party (KMT) Legislator Chiang Ling-chun (江玲君) yesterday urged candidates running in this weekend’s KMT Central Standing Committee by-election to practice clean politics.
The group told a press conference at the legislature that they would e-mail or fax a written pledge to the 73 candidates and release the names of those who sign it ahead of tomorrow’s poll.
Chiang said the candidates had performed well so far and she hoped that none would resort to smearing their opponents.
Liu Teng-chung (劉燈鐘), deputy director of the KMT’s Department of Youth Affairs and a professor at Kang-Ning Junior College of Medical Care and Management, called for a clean election after allegations of bribery in an earlier poll.
Liu was referring to last month’s Central Standing Committee election. Claims of rampant bribery overshadowed the results of the election. Most of the committee members resigned after the KMT’s Evaluation and Disciplinary Committee suspended the membership rights of 12 committee members.
The party at first said it would not redo the poll, but President Ma Ying-jeou (馬英九), who doubles as KMT chairman, and high-ranking KMT officials urged committee members to resign in order to necessitate a second election.
The Central Weather Administration (CWA) today issued a "tsunami watch" alert after a magnitude 8.7 earthquake struck off the Kamchatka Peninsula in northeastern Russia earlier in the morning. The quake struck off the east coast of the Kamchatka Peninsula at 7:25am (Taiwan time) at a depth of about 19km, the CWA said, citing figures from the Pacific Tsunami Warning Center. The CWA's Seismological Center said preliminary assessments indicate that a tsunami could reach Taiwan's coastal areas by 1:18pm today. The CWA urged residents along the coast to stay alert and take necessary precautions as waves as high as 1m could hit the southeastern
The National Museum of Taiwan Literature is next month to hold an exhibition in Osaka, Japan, showcasing the rich and unique history of Taiwanese folklore and literature. The exhibition, which is to run from Aug. 10 to Aug. 20 at the city’s Central Public Hall, is part of the “We Taiwan” at Expo 2025 series, highlighting Taiwan’s cultural ties with the international community, National Museum of Taiwan Literature director Chen Ying-fang (陳瑩芳) said. Folklore and literature, among Taiwan’s richest cultural heritages, naturally deserve a central place in the global dialogue, Chen said. Taiwan’s folklore would be immediately apparent at the entrance of the
Speeding and badly maintained roads were the main causes of a school bus accident on a rainy day in Taipei last year that severely injured two people and left 22 with minor injuries, the Taiwan Transportation and Safety Board said. On March 11 last year, a Kang Chiao International School bus overturned inside the Wenshan Tunnel (文山隧道) on the northbound lane of the Xinyi Expressway. The tour bus, owned by Long Lai Co, exceeded the speed limit after entering the tunnel, the board’s investigation found. Sensing that the rear of the vehicle was swaying, the driver attempted to use the service and exhaust
“China is preparing to invade Taiwan,” Deputy Minister of Foreign Affairs Francois Wu (吳志中) said in an exclusive interview with British media channel Sky News for a special report titled, “Is Taiwan ready for a Chinese invasion?” the Ministry of Foreign Affairs said today in a statement. The 25-minute-long special report by Helen Ann-Smith released yesterday saw Sky News travel to Penghu, Taoyuan and Taipei to discuss the possibility of a Chinese invasion and how Taiwan is preparing for an attack. The film observed emergency response drills, interviewed baseball fans at the Taipei Dome on their views of US President
RSS