Taipei prosecutors yesterday said they would not indict a professor who Formosa Plastics Group alleged had damaged the group’s reputation with his research.
Tsuang Ben-jei (莊秉潔), a member of National Chung Hsing University’s environmental engineering department faculty, said at a meeting last year of the Environmental Protection Administration’s (EPA) environmental impact assessment committee that heavy metals and carcinogenic substances contained in the exhaust gas emitted by the group’s No. 6 Naphtha Cracker Plant in Mailiao Township (麥寮) had resulted in elevated cancer rates among residents in the area.
Saying Tsuang’s remarks had damaged its reputation, the group filed a defamation lawsuit against Tsuang with the Taipei District Prosecutors’ Office.
Prosecutors said Tsuang was invited to the EPA meeting as an expert and his remarks concerned public health and significant environmental protection issues.
They said that even though his conclusions might not be entirely objective or precise, his motive was benign and he did not defame the group.
Tsuang said the case was the first time an industrial giant had sued academics over their research, but the prosecutors’ decision not to indict him ensured freedom of academic research.
He added that no experts have dared to speak on the issue after the group sued him.
The group also filed a civil suit demanding compensation of NT$40 million (US$1.34 million) and that Tsuang place a public notice of apology in newspapers.
The civil suit is pending in the Taipei District Court.
Formosa Plastics Group said it respected academic freedom, but that Tsuang’s research cited false data, which caused panic among residents in the area.
Three batches of banana sauce imported from the Philippines were intercepted at the border after they were found to contain the banned industrial dye Orange G, the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) said yesterday. From today through Sept. 2 next year, all seasoning sauces from the Philippines are to be subject to the FDA’s strictest border inspection, meaning 100 percent testing for illegal dyes before entry is allowed, it said in a statement. Orange G is an industrial coloring agent that is not permitted for food use in Taiwan or internationally, said Cheng Wei-chih (鄭維智), head of the FDA’s Northern Center for
The Chinese military has built landing bridge ships designed to expand its amphibious options for a potential assault on Taiwan, but their combat effectiveness is limited due to their high vulnerability, a defense expert said in an analysis published on Monday. Shen Ming-shih (沈明室), a research fellow at the Institute for National Defense and Security Research, said that the deployment of such vessels as part of the Chinese People’s Liberation Army (PLA) Navy’s East Sea Fleet signals a strong focus on Taiwan. However, the ships are highly vulnerable to precision strikes, which means they could be destroyed before they achieve their intended
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About 4.2 million tourist arrivals were recorded in the first half of this year, a 10 percent increase from the same period last year, the Tourism Administration said yesterday. The growth continues to be consistent, with the fourth quarter of this year expected to be the peak in Taiwan, the agency said, adding that it plans to promote Taiwan overseas via partnerships and major events. From January to June, 9.14 million international departures were recorded from Taiwan, an 11 percent increase from the same period last year, with 3.3 million headed for Japan, 1.52 million for China and 832,962 to South Korea,
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