The nation's top prosecutor yesterday offered to resign to take responsibility for the uproar over probes into vote-buying ahead of recent local elections and the Kaohsiung Rapid Transit Corp (KRTC) scandal.
"I take responsibility for the inefficiency of vote-buying investigations for the Dec. 3 local government elections," the State Public Prosecutor-General Wu Ying-chao (
"People involved in the local government elections and social groups have criticized me for the unfairness of vote-buying investigations since the campaign. I attempted to clear up this matter but failed to quiet the uproar," he added. "I am very sad that even some prosecutors have misunderstood me ... I have decided to offer my resignation to the president and retire."
Criticism
Wu's resignation came yesterday afternoon, shortly after President Chen Shui-bian (
While giving a speech at a ceremony for new investigators who have just concluded their training programs at the Bureau of Investigation, Chen said that the performance of law enforcement officials was still unsatisfactory. Taking the year-end legislative election last year and local elections early this month as examples, the president said that vote-buying remains a serious problem and that it seemed that investigators could do nothing.
"A fairer and more objective performance could strengthen the government's prestige and public trust," Chen said.
Chen encouraged the new force to become self-respecting investigators, hoping that all law enforcement officials will perform better in the future.
"Recently, some prosecutors have violated the gag order, further tarnishing the Bureau of Investigation," Chen said.
Political observers interpreted his remarks as expressing discontent with the role of the so-called "Deep Throat" who allegedly disclosed details regarding the KRTC scandal to the public.
As of press time yesterday, the Presidential Office had not made any statement regarding Wu's resignation. Presidential Office Spokesman Chen Wen-tsung (
Prior to offering his resignation yesterday afternoon, Wu faced criticism over vote-buying investigations as well as criticism from non-governmental organizations (NGOs) and legal associations, who called for a more independent legal system and asked the government to recall Wu.
Cover-up charges
Pan-blue lawmakers alleged that Wu had interfered in probes into the KRTC to cover up for high-ranking Democratic Progressive Party (DPP) officials.
They also alleged that Wu ordered the opening of several court files received from Switzerland related to the Lafayette-class frigate scandal a few days before the election in order to highlight the pan-blue camp's corruption and promote the DPP in the elections.
"Recent controversies surrounding the probes into the KRTC and Lafayette scandals have shown that Wu is not suitable for his job," said Prosecutors Reform Association spokesman Chen Chih-ming (
Wu has been unable to lead prosecutors in a probe of corruption among high-level officials, Chen Chih-ming said, adding that the association welcomed Wu's decision to step down.
Chen Chih-ming said his association opposed Wu's appointment to the post last year because of his involvement in scandals such as the illegal trading of Taiwan Pineapple Corp (
Reform needed
An anti-corruption alliance organized by several NGOs said early this month that an independent prosecution system is the key to fighting high-level corruption. The first step in reforms should be to create a more independent state public prosecutor-general, whose position would be free from any political intervention, the alliance said.
The alliance called for an amendment of the Court Organic Law (法院組織法) to establish a nomination system stipulating that the president's nominee for the nation's top prosecutor should be approved by the legislature.
But while pan-blue lawmakers questioned the timing of Wu's resignation, several pan-green law-makers yesterday lauded Wu for offering to take responsibility.
Additional reporting by Chiu Yu-tzu
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