The Chinese Nationalist Party (KMT) caucus yesterday said the Taipei District Prosecutors’ Office has become a weapon of political persecution and urged the Ministry of Justice to explain why details about an ongoing investigation into former president Ma Ying-jeou’s (馬英九) alleged underselling of former state-run enterprises were leaked to the media.
Prosecutors should not apply double standards in their adherence to the principle of nondisclosure of details on cases under investigation, KMT caucus deputy secretary-general Lee Yen-hsiu (李彥秀) told a news conference at the Legislative Yuan in Taipei.
Lee was referring to a lawsuit that Ma filed against Chief Prosecutor Shing Tai-chao (邢泰釗) and head prosecutor Wang Hsin-chien (王鑫健), who Ma said had illegally leaked “distorted” details on the KMT’s sale of Central Motion Pictures Corp, Broadcasting Corp of China and China Television Co to reporters, leading to false media reports.
Photo: Chien Jung-fong, Taipei Times
Prosecutors use the nondisclosure principle as a fig leaf when media ask them to comment on cases they deem sensitive, but abandon the principle when they want to manipulate public opinion, she said, citing a scandal surrounding Ching Fu Shipbuilding Co, which saw the Kaohsiung District Prosecutors’ Office issue two contradictory news releases in one day.
It is only natural that Ma is concerned about prosecutors abusing their investigative powers, as he is just like any other civilian following his retirement as president, Lee said, calling on the Ministry of Justice to clarify doubts over the two cases.
The Taipei District Prosecutors’ Office on Wednesday denied having leaked information within hours after Ma sued the office, but it should have prevented breaches of confidentiality in the first place, rather than scrambling to distance itself from the leaks, Lee said.
KMT Legislator Alicia Wang (王育敏) said the prosecutors have abandoned their judicial ethics and are allowing themselves to be used as a weapon of political persecution, as evidenced by a string of actions targeting Ma, including a 14.5-hour marathon interrogation last week over the sales case.
Prosecutors denied leaking details to the media, but they could have leaked the information to pan-green politicians, who then passed it on to reporters at “certain” media outlets, Wang said, asking the office for clarification.
Ma’s office has since last week been asking the office to explain the spread of baseless rumors in the sales case, but it had purposefully ignored the requests, she said, adding that it only clarified its role in the investigation in a statement after Ma filed a lawsuit.
“It leaves the public wondering who is manipulating the judiciary behind the scenes,” Wang said.
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