The Taipei District Court yesterday replaced two of the three judges who will hear the case against former president Lee Teng-hui (李登輝), who has been accused of embezzling state funds.
In a random drawing on Monday, the court selected Judge Chou Chan-chun (周占春) to preside over Lee’s case, while judges Lin Po-hung (林柏泓) and Ho Chiao-mei (何俏美) were to co-hear the case.
However, the court had said before the draw that Lin would give up his seat in September to serve as an instructor at the Judges and Prosecutors Training Institute.
Since Lin would be unable to complete the hearing and because Ho’s three-year term will also end that month, the court yesterday said it would select two new judges.
After a vote conducted by all district court judges, the court selected judges Hu Tsung-kan (胡宗淦) and Yeh Li-chi (葉力旗) to replace Lin and Ho, with Chou remaining as presiding judge.
The Supreme Prosecutors’ Office Special Investigation Panel last month accused Lee and a top aide of illegally siphoning US$7.8 million from secret diplomatic funds used by the National Security Bureau and laundering the money during his terms in office.
Lee denies the charges.
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