After expressing “surprise” at the impeachment of prosecutor-general Chen Tsung-ming (陳聰明), President Ma Ying-jeou (馬英九) later yesterday approved Chen's resignation, saying he respected the authority of the Control Yuan.
Chen tendered his resignation on Tuesday after being impeached by the Control Yuan.
The government watchdog voted 8-3 to impeach Chen, citing concerns over his “integrity” and “sincerity” in leading the Special Investigation Panel's (SIP) investigation into alleged corruption involving former president Chen Shui-bian (陳水扁).
Tuesday's vote was the second attempt by the Control Yuan after a motion by Control Yuan members Chien Lin Whei-jun (錢林慧君) and Lee Ful-dien (李復甸) on Jan. 5 to impeach Chen Tsung-ming failed.
In an interview with the China Television Co yesterday morning, Ma said he would discuss Chen's successor with Premier Wu Den-yih (吳敦義) and Minister of Justice Wang Ching-feng (王清峰).
Since the legislature is in recess, Ma said he would ask a senior prosecutor at the Supreme Prosecutors' Office to serve as an interim prosecutor-general before the legislature approves his nominee.
Ma was tight-lipped about who would be Chen's successor, but said the person must be capable and possess integrity to be able to lead the nation's prosecutors.
Asked whether the change would affect the SIP's investigation into Chen Shui-bian, Ma said he believed the prosecutors handling the cases would do a good job.
The president also dismissed as “ridiculous” speculation that the impeachment of Chen Tsung-ming was aimed at securing votes for the Chinese Nationalist Party (KMT), which suffered a resounding defeat in the legislative by-elections early this month.
Ma said he knew nothing about the impeachment beforehand and was also not aware of the Control Yuan's first attempt to impeach Chen Tsung-ming until it failed.
At a separate setting yesterday, Wu also dismissed the Democratic Progressive Party's (DPP) allegation that Ma was behind Chen Tsung-ming's impeachment.
“[The DPP] likes to make accusations. President Ma has always respected judicial independence. The Control Yuan members approved the impeachment and Chen Tsung-ming then offered to resign. What do all these have to do with President Ma?” Wu said.
It was “ridiculous” for the DPP “to be shooting arrows at Ma,” Wu said.
The impeachment also triggered speculation that all 14 members of the SIP had tendered their resignation to show their support for Chen Tsung-ming.
The SIP was established as a special team of prosecutors to probe major cases such as alleged corruption and money laundering by the former president. The panel directly reports to the prosecutor-general.
SIP spokesperson Chen Yun-nan (陳雲南) yesterday said the prosecutors had not resigned but only requested to return to their original posts before they joined the panel.
Chen Yun-nan declined to comment on whether all or only some of the 14 members plan to leave the panel, saying only that these are internal affairs. He also declined to comment on whether he himself plans to leave the SIP.
Chen Yun-nan assured the public that even if the current members were to leave, the SIP would continue its investigations and that progress of the cases assigned to the panel would not suffer as a result of personnel changes.
Meanwhile, responding to questions about prosecutors considering leaving the SIP, the justice minister said there was no need to leave just because Chen Tsung-ming had left.
“The prosecutorial system is independent. We are ruled by law, not by people,” Wang said.
She said although she respected each prosecutor's personal decision, she believed “it is a good thing to be able to serve our country.”
Deputy Minister of Justice Huang Shih-ming (黃世銘) yesterday said that based on the Organic Act of Court Organization (法院組織法), after the president approves Chen Tsung-ming's resignation, the president will nominate a new candidate for the prosecutor-general post for the legislature's endorsement.
After the new chief prosecutor assumes his post, he will have the power to approve or deny the SIP prosecutors' requests to leave the panel and return to their old posts. The new prosecutor-general will also have the power to form his own team of prosecutors to join the SIP and continue to probe cases assigned to the panel.
Chen Tsung-ming took office in January 2007 after his appointment was endorsed by the legislature. The term of a state prosecutor-general is four years.
ADDITIONAL REPORTING BY SHIH HSIU-CHUAN
Also See: EDITORIAL : An impeachment to dismember
UNILATERAL MOVES: Officials have raised concerns that Beijing could try to exert economic control over Kinmen in a key development plan next year The Civil Aviation Administration (CAA) yesterday said that China has so far failed to provide any information about a new airport expected to open next year that is less than 10km from a Taiwanese airport, raising flight safety concerns. Xiamen Xiangan International Airport is only about 3km at its closest point from the islands in Kinmen County — the scene of on-off fighting during the Cold War — and construction work can be seen and heard clearly from the Taiwan side. In a written statement sent to Reuters, the CAA said that airports close to each other need detailed advanced
Tropical Storm Fung-Wong would likely strengthen into a typhoon later today as it continues moving westward across the Pacific before heading in Taiwan’s direction next week, the Central Weather Administration (CWA) said. As of 8am, Fung-Wong was about 2,190km east-southeast of Cape Oluanpi (鵝鑾鼻), Taiwan’s southernmost point, moving westward at 25kph and possibly accelerating to 31kph, CWA data showed. The tropical storm is currently over waters east of the Philippines and still far from Taiwan, CWA forecaster Tseng Chao-cheng (曾昭誠) said, adding that it could likely strengthen into a typhoon later in the day. It is forecast to reach the South China Sea
Almost a quarter of volunteer soldiers who signed up from 2021 to last year have sought early discharge, the Legislative Yuan’s Budget Center said in a report. The report said that 12,884 of 52,674 people who volunteered in the period had sought an early exit from the military, returning NT$895.96 million (US$28.86 million) to the government. In 2021, there was a 105.34 percent rise in the volunteer recruitment rate, but the number has steadily declined since then, missing recruitment targets, the Chinese-language United Daily News said, citing the report. In 2021, only 521 volunteers dropped out of the military, the report said, citing
WEATHER Typhoon forming: CWA A tropical depression is expected to form into a typhoon as early as today, the Central Weather Administration (CWA) said yesterday, adding that the storm’s path remains uncertain. Before the weekend, it would move toward the Philippines, the agency said. Some time around Monday next week, it might reach a turning point, either veering north toward waters east of Taiwan or continuing westward across the Philippines, the CWA said. Meanwhile, the eye of Typhoon Kalmaegi was 1,310km south-southeast of Oluanpi (鵝鑾鼻), Taiwan’s southernmost point, as of 2am yesterday, it said. The storm is forecast to move through central
RSS