A Judicial Reform Foundation delegation yesterday urged the Control Yuan to investigate Prosecutor-General Huang Shih-ming (黃世銘) on charges of abuse of power and authorizing secret wiretapping.
The delegation also called for abolishing the Supreme Prosecutors’ Office Special Investigation Division (SID).
Gathered in front of the Control Yuan, the delegation was headed by foundation chairman Chiu Hei-yuan (瞿海源), board member Joseph Lin (林永頌) and executive director Lin Feng-jeng (林峰正).
Photo: Liu Hsin-de, Taipei Times
“Prosecutor-General Huang claimed that he was acting in accordance with Article 44 of the Constitution in reporting to the president regarding the alleged illegal lobbying of Legislative Speaker Wang Jin-pyng (王金平). However, that article concerns how to handle the president calling a consultation in case of disputes between two or more branches of government,” Chiu said.
“However, how can Huang represent the Executive Yuan? His action is a serious violation of the Constitution. We demand that the Control Yuan investigate this thoroughly,” Chiu said.
The delegation also said that no one must interfere in the judicial process, and all those involved in the illegal lobbying case should be investigated, including Wang, Democratic Progressive Party (DPP) caucus whip Ker Chien-ming (柯建銘), former minister of justice Tseng Yung-fu (曾勇夫) and High Prosecutors’ Office Head Prosecutor Chen Shou-huang (陳守煌).
“According to the principle of legislative self-discipline, the investigation into the conduct of Wang and Ker should be done by the Legislative Yuan’s Discipline Committee,” Lin said.
He said that since both men are members of political parties, both parties should investigate their conduct, under the principle of responsible politics.
“If they are found guilty, then they must bear all political responsibility, executive power responsibility and even criminal liability. There is no room for ambiguity on this matter,” Lin said.
The delegation’s request and statement was accepted by Control Yuan member Yu Teng-fang (余騰芳).
In a press release, the foundation called for major reforms in six areas of the judicial process.
These included passing legislation on illegal lobbying, abolishing the SID, establishing checks and balances on prosecutors to prevent selective prosecution, establishing a mechanism to allow public participation in the judicial process, reforming the prosecutorial system and prohibiting investigative units from carrying out wiretapping to “fish for evidence.”
Chinese Nationalist Party (KMT) Chairman Eric Chu (朱立倫), spokeswoman Yang Chih-yu (楊智伃) and Legislator Hsieh Lung-chieh (謝龍介) would be summoned by police for questioning for leading an illegal assembly on Thursday evening last week, Minister of the Interior Liu Shyh-fang (劉世芳) said today. The three KMT officials led an assembly outside the Taipei City Prosecutors’ Office, a restricted area where public assembly is not allowed, protesting the questioning of several KMT staff and searches of KMT headquarters and offices in a recall petition forgery case. Chu, Yang and Hsieh are all suspected of contravening the Assembly and Parade Act (集會遊行法) by holding
PRAISE: Japanese visitor Takashi Kubota said the Taiwanese temple architecture images showcased in the AI Art Gallery were the most impressive displays he saw Taiwan does not have an official pavilion at the World Expo in Osaka, Japan, because of its diplomatic predicament, but the government-backed Tech World pavilion is drawing interest with its unique recreations of works by Taiwanese artists. The pavilion features an artificial intelligence (AI)-based art gallery showcasing works of famous Taiwanese artists from the Japanese colonial period using innovative technologies. Among its main simulated displays are Eastern gouache paintings by Chen Chin (陳進), Lin Yu-shan (林玉山) and Kuo Hsueh-hu (郭雪湖), who were the three young Taiwanese painters selected for the East Asian Painting exhibition in 1927. Gouache is a water-based
Taiwan would welcome the return of Honduras as a diplomatic ally if its next president decides to make such a move, Minister of Foreign Affairs Lin Chia-lung (林佳龍) said yesterday. “Of course, we would welcome Honduras if they want to restore diplomatic ties with Taiwan after their elections,” Lin said at a meeting of the legislature’s Foreign Affairs and National Defense Committee, when asked to comment on statements made by two of the three Honduran presidential candidates during the presidential campaign in the Central American country. Taiwan is paying close attention to the region as a whole in the wake of a
OFF-TARGET: More than 30,000 participants were expected to take part in the Games next month, but only 6,550 foreign and 19,400 Taiwanese athletes have registered Taipei city councilors yesterday blasted the organizers of next month’s World Masters Games over sudden timetable and venue changes, which they said have caused thousands of participants to back out of the international sporting event, among other organizational issues. They also cited visa delays and political interference by China as reasons many foreign athletes are requesting refunds for the event, to be held from May 17 to 30. Jointly organized by the Taipei and New Taipei City governments, the games have been rocked by numerous controversies since preparations began in 2020. Taipei City Councilor Lin Yen-feng (林延鳳) said yesterday that new measures by
RSS