The Democratic Progressive Party (DPP) yesterday expressed regret at what it called a light sentence for former prosecutor-general Huang Shih-ming (黃世銘) for leaking confidential information to President Ma Ying-jeou (馬英九), while urging the judiciary to launch an investigation into Ma over his legal responsibilities in the case.
“The Taiwan High Court sentenced Huang to one year and three months for several criminal offenses, including leaking classified information, which could be commuted to fines,” DPP spokesperson Cheng Yun-peng (鄭運鵬) told a press conference yesterday. “The sentence is relatively light compared with former Investigation Bureau director Yeh Sheng-mao (葉盛茂), who has been sentenced to two years in prison, and the DPP regrets the light sentence.”
Yeh, who served as the Investigation Bureau’s head under former president Chen Shui-bian (陳水扁), was found guilty and sentenced to two years in prison for informing Chen that the judiciary had started an investigation of the former president on reports of corruption.
Cheng said that Huang illegally obtained recordings of Legislative Speaker Wang Jin-pyng (王金平) and handed the transcripts to Ma, who used the contents to launch 2013’s “September strife,” during which the Chinese Nationalist Party (KMT) attempted to revoke Wang’s party membership.
“Compared with Yeh, what Huang did has seriously damaged Taiwan’s democracy and could be considered the biggest scandal since democratization,” Cheng said.
Cheng called on the judiciary to launch a probe into the president’s involvement and legal responsibilities.
He said that, according to a statement released by the Taiwan High Court, Ma asked Huang to forward the information to then-premier Jiang Yi-huah (江宜樺).
“This shows that Huang leaked the information — which should have been kept confidential — to Jiang according to Ma’s direction,” Cheng said.
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