The Control Yuan has reprimanded the Ministry of Justice for allowing two Chinese Nationalist Party (KMT) politicians to escape punishment after they were found guilty by the courts.
After convening on Wednesday, Control Yuan committee members agreed to serve a “corrective measure” to the ministry for negligence in its handling of cases involving former Tainan County council speaker Wu Chien-pao (吳健保) and former Ruifang (瑞芳) township mayor Liao Hsiu-hsiung (廖秀雄).
The Control Yuan statement said that during the court proceedings, prosecutors should have requested the prosecutor-general to establish personal files and monitoring mechanisms on the two men, since both were under criminal investigation and could have been a flight risk.
As the prosecutors were negligent in their duties, and the ministry was clearly at fault for failing to oversee the prosecutorial agencies, a “corrective measure” has been issued to the ministry, the statement said.
Wu was found guilty for his involvement as a financial backer of a major underground gambling syndicate in southern Taiwan, which specialized in taking bets and rigging the outcome of the nation’s professional baseball league.
Wu was convicted and given a 38-month prison sentence, but used his council speaker position to evade punishment.
In 2011, Wu was found guilty of fraud and bid rigging in a case dating from 2006 where he colluded with business associates to run an illegal sand-and-gravel excavation operation for profits estimated at about NT$100 million (US$3.08 million at current exchange rates).
Wu fled from his residence to avoid arrest and jail time, and his whereabouts remain unknown.
Liao was sentenced to 34 months in prison in January after being convicted of embezzling petroleum firm subsidies, and in March was given a nine-year term for receiving kickbacks from a public utility project by Taiwan Power Co.
However, Liao also fled and reportedly escaped to China.
The ministry issued a statement saying that Wu was convicted on fraud and other charges that were not of a serious nature, and the prosecutor in charge at the time had deemed Wu was not a flight risk, as his son was running as a candidate in the local councilor election.
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
The first two F-16V Bock 70 jets purchased from the US are expected to arrive in Taiwan around Double Ten National Day, which is on Oct. 10, a military source said yesterday. Of the 66 F-16V Block 70 jets purchased from the US, the first completed production in March, the source said, adding that since then three jets have been produced per month. Although there were reports of engine defects, the issue has been resolved, they said. After the jets arrive in Taiwan, they must first pass testing by the air force before they would officially become Taiwan’s property, they said. The air force
GLOBAL: Although Matsu has limited capacity for large numbers of domestic tourists, it would be a great high-end destination for international travelers, an official said Lienchiang County’s (Matsu) unique landscape and Cold War history give it great potential to be marketed as a destination for international travelers, Tourism Administration Director General Chen Yu-hsiu (陳玉秀) said at the weekend. Tourism officials traveled to the outlying island for the Matsu Biennial, an art festival that started on Friday to celebrate Matsu’s culture, history and landscape. Travelers to Matsu, which lies about 190km northwest of Taipei, must fly or take the state-run New Taima passenger ship. However, flights are often canceled during fog season from April to June. Chen spoke about her vision to promote Matsu as a tourist attraction in
PAWSITIVE IMPACT: A shop owner said that while he adopted cats to take care of rodents, they have also attracted younger visitors who also buy his dried goods In Taipei’s Dadaocheng (大稻埕), cats lounging in shops along Dihua Street do more than nap amid the scent of dried seafood. Many have become beloved fixtures who double as photography models, attracting visitors and helping boost sales in one of the capital’s most historic quarters. A recent photo contest featuring more than a dozen shop cats drew more than 2,200 submissions, turning everyday cat-spotting into a friendly competition that attracted amateur and professional photographers. “It’s rare to see cats standing, so when it suddenly did, it felt like a lucky cat,” said Sabrina Hsu (徐淳蔚), who won the NT$10,000 top prize in
RSS