Democratic Progressive Party (DPP) Legislator Ker Chien-ming (柯建銘) accused a judge of being former President Ma Ying-jeou’s (馬英九) defense attorney as the second trial over alleged breach of confidence by Ma began yesterday.
Ker said that the judge in the first trial should not have ruled in Ma’s favor in the case, which stems from Ker’s accusation that Ma breached judicial independence by instructing then-prosecutor general Huang Shih-ming (黃世銘) to provide information regarding an ongoing investigation.
The investigation, conducted by the now-defunct Special Investigation Division, was probing allegations that Ker and then-legislative speaker Wang Jin-pyng (王金平) were involved in improper use of influence.
Photo: Wang Yi-sung, Taipei Times
Ma is accused of soliciting Huang to break confidentiality when the former president invited him to the presidential residence on Sept. 1, 2013, to report on the investigation, Ker’s lawyer Huang Di-ying (黃帝穎) said.
Ker said the judge’s explanation of the March 28 verdict was untenable.
Ker said Ma’s guilt was evident, but he was acquitted because there was no audio recording of him giving the order.
Photo: Wang Yi-sung, Taipei Times
The verdict of the second trial will be final.
Ma is also accused of a second count of soliciting a breach in confidentiality by asking Huang Shih-ming on Sept. 4, 2013, to brief Jiang on the investigation, Huang Di-ying said.
The two cases have been divided into separate suits, with the Sept. 1, 2013, incident sparking a lawsuit by Ker, while the Sept. 4, 2013, incident prompted a public prosecution by the Taipei District Prosecutors’ Office.
The Taiwan High Court sentenced Huang Shih-ming to one year and three months in prison in February 2015 for breach of confidentiality, which was commuted into a fine of NT$457,000.
Ma was summoned to stand trial this year, as he had immunity against prosecution during his time as president.
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
The Coast Guard Administration (CGA) yesterday said it had deployed patrol vessels to expel a China Coast Guard ship and a Chinese fishing boat near Pratas Island (Dongsha Island, 東沙群島) in the South China Sea. The China Coast Guard vessel was 28 nautical miles (52km) northeast of Pratas at 6:15am on Thursday, approaching the island’s restricted waters, which extend 24 nautical miles from its shoreline, the CGA’s Dongsha-Nansha Branch said in a statement. The Tainan, a 2,000-tonne cutter, was deployed by the CGA to shadow the Chinese ship, which left the area at 2:39pm on Friday, the statement said. At 6:31pm on Friday,
The Chinese People’s Liberation Army Navy’s (PLAN) third aircraft carrier, the Fujian, would pose a steep challenge to Taiwan’s ability to defend itself against a full-scale invasion, a defense expert said yesterday. Institute of National Defense and Security Research analyst Chieh Chung (揭仲) made the comment hours after the PLAN confirmed the carrier recently passed through the Taiwan Strait to conduct “scientific research tests and training missions” in the South China Sea. China has two carriers in operation — the Liaoning and the Shandong — with the Fujian undergoing sea trials. Although the PLAN needs time to train the Fujian’s air wing and
STRIKE: Some travel agencies in Taiwan said that they were aware of the situation in South Korea, and that group tours to the country were proceeding as planned A planned strike by airport personnel in South Korea has not affected group tours to the country from Taiwan, travel agencies said yesterday. They added that they were closely monitoring the situation. Personnel at 15 airports, including Seoul’s Incheon and Gimpo airports, are to go on strike. They announced at a news conference on Tuesday that the strike would begin on Friday next week and continue until the Mid-Autumn Festival next month. Some travel agencies in Taiwan, including Cola Tour, Lion Travel, SET Tour and ezTravel, said that they were aware of the situation in South Korea, and that group
RSS