The identities of the two witnesses for The Journalist (新新聞周報) in the libel suit Vice President Annette Lu (呂秀蓮) brought against the magazine were published yesterday, but both claimed to be peripheral figures in the case.
After weeks of secrecy, the witnesses, whom the magazine claimed were central to its November article about Lu, were identified yesterday as Tsung Chao-ming (曾昭明), a secretary in the presidential office, and Chen Shih-ning (陳詩寧), a Public TV reporter.
In an interview yesterday, Tsung, brother-in-law of the secretary-general of the presidential office, Yu Shyi-kun, claimed he did not agree to testify for The Journalist.
Tsung did not answer a subpoena to appear at a court session yesterday but excused himself by saying he was tied up with official business.
Lai Yung-hua (賴泱樺), the Taipei District Court judge presiding over the case, ordered a court clerk to telephone Tsung during the court session to ask if he could show up later to testify. But Tsung's colleague said he was off yesterday.
Chen, who has gone to Shanghai to cover the APEC meeting, also failed to appear. Bombarded with questions concerning the trial while in Shanghai, Chen responded only with the simple sentence that "the case has nothing to do with [my being] here."
According to The Journalist,its two witnesses can prove that the vice president spread rumors of an extra-marital affair involving President Chen Shui-bian (
Nevertheless, Tsai Ming-hua (蔡明華), spokesperson for the vice president, said yesterday that it is impossible that Lu would have spoken about the so-called affair with these two persons, with whom she said Lu barely had any contact.
Angry with the exposure, President of The Journalist Wang Chien-chung (王健壯) requested during yesterday's court session that an immediate investigation be launched into whether the vice president's side had leaked the witnesses' names.
Wang accused the vice president's lawyers of breaking an earlier promise that they would not leak information concerning the witnesses before the pair came forward to testify.
He stressed the seriousness of the issue, saying the exposure thwarts the witnesses' determination to testify against Lu.
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