Prosecutors on Wednesday cited figures from documents and transcripts of audio recordings after former president Ma Ying-jeou (馬英九) questioned the legitimacy of an indictment against him last week.
At the Chinese Nationalist Party (KMT) Central Standing Committee, Ma spoke about his role in the sale of three party-controlled media companies, accusing the Taipei District Prosecutors’ Office of “following orders” to indict him.
“The office followed proper and fair legal processes throughout the case and no political considerations were involved,” Taipei Deputy Chief Prosecutor Chou Shih-yu (周士榆) said in a statement released late on Wednesday.
“We urge the defendants to clarify the details of the case based on the evidence,” Chou wrote. “The defendants should not resort to the use of sentimental or inflammatory statements to cause harm to the nation’s justice system.”
Based on evidence and testimonies, it was found that Ma had directed shares of China Television Co (CTV, 中視), one of three KMT-controlled media outlets at the time, to be sold “at an unreasonably low price,” resulting in financial losses to the KMT, the statement said.
The closing share price for CTV was NT$11.5 on Dec. 23, 2005, and the average closing price was NT$10.1 through April 3, 2006, Chou said.
“The sale of CTV worked out at NT$6.5 per share,” Chou said. “At such a price, it was certainly selling the company cheaply.”
In the indictment, prosecutors said the KMT lost NT$494.3 million (US$16.14 million at the current exchange rate) from the sale of CTV in 2006.
Prosecutors cited the transcript of an audio recording of an internal KMT meeting on March 12, 2006, Chou said.
“The evidence from the recording clearly indicates that Ma was well aware that NT$6.5 per share was unreasonable and far below market value,” he said. “It is clear that the company was sold cheaply ... which permitted huge profits to go to the buyers,” the statement said.
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