Two universities yesterday said they had canceled former Chinese Nationalist Party (KMT) legislator Ho Chih-hui’s (何智輝) lectures as well as his accreditation as a lecturer, since Ho has been on the run from the law amid allegations of his role in a bribery scandal involving members of the judiciary.
Ho had been scheduled to lecture at National United University (NUU) and Yu Da University (YDU), both in Miaoli County. NUU announced it had canceled Ho’s classes on the transformation of local governance and political and economic developments in the Taiwan Strait, scheduled for next semester.
YDU said it had canceled Ho’s class on political and economic development in China.
Both schools said Ho’s accreditations as a lecturer were also canceled.
NUU students left messages on the school’s Web site ridiculing Ho and his classes.
“Let us take the class in China,” one post said, reflecting investigators’ concerns Ho could attempt to flee to China.
“If the lecturer skips his class, do we get two free credits?” another asked.
Students also questioned how Ho, who apparently jumped from the window of his house and escaped before investigators could arrest him, could teach students how to behave in school.
Students said it was ridiculous for the school to hire a lecturer who had received a heavy sentence for corruption.
NUU said Ho, who has a master’s degree and had served as Miaoli County commissioner, as well as a legislator, was approved by the school’s Center for General Education to be a lecturer.
YDU said it had hired Ho because of his familiarity with law, as well as political and economic practice in China.
Taiwan High Court Judges Chen Jung-ho (陳榮和), Lee Chun-ti (李春地) and Tsai Kuang-chih (蔡光治) and Banciao prosecutor Chiu Mao-jung (邱茂榮) were detained on July 14 on suspicion of corruption when handling four charges against Ho.
The four are suspected of taking or facilitating bribes offered by Ho in return for overturning a lower court’s guilty verdict in a corruption case stemming from his time as a legislator. Sentenced in 2006 to 19 years in prison for receiving kickbacks during the development phase of the Tongluo expansion of Hsinchu Science Park in Miaoli County, Ho saw his sentence overturned by the Taiwan High Court in May.
Trips for more than 100,000 international and domestic air travelers could be disrupted as China launches a military exercise around Taiwan today, Taiwan’s Civil Aviation Administration (CAA) said yesterday. The exercise could affect nearly 900 flights scheduled to enter the Taipei Flight Information Region (FIR) during the exercise window, it added. A notice issued by the Chinese Civil Aviation Administration showed there would be seven temporary zones around the Taiwan Strait which would be used for live-fire exercises, lasting from 8am to 6pm today. All aircraft are prohibited from entering during exercise, it says. Taipei FIR has 14 international air routes and
The Ministry of National Defense (MND) today released images of the military tracking China’s People's Liberation Army (PLA) movements during the latest round of Chinese drills around Taiwan. The PLA began "Justice Mission 2025" drills today, carrying out live-fire drills, simulated strikes on land and maritime targets, and exercises to blockade the nation's main ports. The exercises are to continue tomorrow, with the PLA announcing sea and air space restrictions for five zones around Taiwan for 10 hours starting from 8:30am. The ministry today released images showing a Chinese J-16 fighter jet tracked by a F-16V Block 20 jet and the
Snow fell on Yushan (Jade Mountain, 玉山) yesterday morning as a continental cold air mass sent temperatures below freezing on Taiwan’s tallest peak, the Central Weather Administration (CWA) said. Snowflakes were seen on Yushan’s north peak from 6:28am to 6:38am, but they did not fully cover the ground and no accumulation was recorded, the CWA said. As of 7:42am, the lowest temperature recorded across Taiwan was minus-5.5°C at Yushan’s Fengkou observatory and minus-4.7°C at the Yushan observatory, CWA data showed. On Hehuanshan (合歡山) in Nantou County, a low of 1.3°C was recorded at 6:39pm, when ice pellets fell at Songsyue Lodge (松雪樓), a
NO SHAME IN RETREAT: Hikers should consider turning back if the weather turns bad or if they do not have sufficient equipment, the Taroko park headquarters said Two people died of hypothermia over the weekend while hiking on Hsuehshan (雪山), prompting park authorities to remind hikers to bring proper equipment and consider their physical condition before setting out in the cold weather. Temperatures dropped over the weekend, bringing snow to high altitudes in Shei-pa National Park. One hiker, surnamed Lin (林), who on Friday was traveling with a group of six along the Hsuehshan west ridge trail, lost consciousness due to hypothermia and died, the Shei-pa National Park Headquarters said. On Saturday, another hiker, surnamed Tien (田), in a group of five on the southeast of the west