Lawyers and members of civic societies and yesterday filed a case at the Taipei District Prosecutors’ Office against former president Ma Ying-jeou (馬英九), demanding that the judiciary act immediately to restrict Ma from leaving the nation.
Taiwan Forever Association attorney Huang Di-ying (黃帝穎) cited ongoing legal cases against Ma as reasons for prohibiting him from traveling abroad, including allegations that Ma was involved in the 2013 leaking of judicial investigation information by then-prosecutor-general Huang Shih-ming (黃世銘), allegations that he colluded with Farglory Land Development Co so the firm could make illegal profits over the Taipei Dome project, and allegations of corruption over the increase of Ma’s personal assets and properties during his presidential terms.
Lawyers and members of Taiwan North Society, Taiwan Association of University Professors (TAUP) and Taiwan Society Hakka were also present at the event.
Photo: Chien Li-chung, Taipei Times
They demanded Taipei prosecutors stop “going easy” on Ma.
“We have seen the double standards taken by prosecutors in the j the handling of the cases of former presidents Chen Shui-bian (陳水扁) and Ma.” Huang said.
“Ma’s conduct was illegal, and the evidence against him is very clear. However, the Taipei District Prosecutors’ Office has kept stalling and has not summoned Ma for questioning. It has also has not imposed any travel restrictions on him,” Huang added.
“Look at the judiciary’s treatment of Chen Shui-bian. Prosecution procedures began the day Chen finished his presidential term, and travel restrictions were imposed on Chen immediately,” he said.
Huang and other lawyers told reporters that during a public lecture at Soochow University in Taipei on Sept. 27, Ma revealed details of secret negotiations and arrangements prior to his meeting on Nov. 7 last year with Chinese President Xi Jinping (習近平) in Singapore, including a tacit agreement to refer to each other as “Mr” rather then by any official government title.
Attorney Cheng Wen-lung (鄭文龍) said the Mainland Affairs Council had already classified the negotiations and arrangements for the Ma-Xi meeting as state secrets, but Ma flaunted the information at a public address.
“This has not only damaged the mutual trust we have with the US government, but has breached the law against leaking of state secrets. Therefore, prosecutors must take up the case and prosecute Ma right away,” Cheng said.
“Ma thinks he is an emperor, talking about state secrets during a lecture. This shows his arrogance and his flagrant disregard for the law. Ma probably had no confidence in the content of his lecture, therefore he resorted to leaking state secrets in order to attract attention,” Cheng added.
TAUP member Chen Li-fu (陳俐甫) said that although Ma has the right to academic freedom, this must be balanced against actions that damage the nation’s security.
“Ma cannot hide under the protection of academic freedom. Prosecutors must prosecute him for leaking state secrets,” Chen Li-fu said.
Ma is scheduled to visit Malaysia to attend the World Chinese Economic Summit later this month.
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