National Taiwan University Hospital (NTU) intensive care unit section chief Ke Wen-cher (柯文哲) yesterday said people have no reason to doubt the gunshot injuries sustained by former vice president Lien Chan’s (連戰) son Sean Lien (連勝文),
“X-rays and computerized axial tomography (CAT) scans prove that the gunshot wound suffered by Sean Lien was not fake. I can vouch for that,” Ke said, adding that Lien was likely to be discharged from the hospital soon.
Lien was shot on the eve of the special municipality elections while stumping for Chinese Nationalist Party (KMT) city councilor candidate Chen Hung-yuan (陳鴻源) at a rally in Yonghe (永和), Taipei County.
A National Taiwan University Hospital (NTUH) spokeswoman said on Saturday that a bullet entered the left side of Lien’s face and exited near his right temple.
He was moved from an intensive care unit to a regular ward at NTU Hospital on Monday after doctors determined that he was out of danger. However, his speedy recovery has fanned rumors, with an online petition calling for the release of his X-rays.
Doctors said that as there was no major tissue damage caused by the bullet, it was reasonable that Lien had started taking food and that his face was no longer swollen.
Chou Tsung-tuo (周聰鐸), an experienced gunshot wound specialist at the Tri-Services General Hospital, said Lien was “extremely lucky” that major tissue in his mouth and throat was not damaged by the bullet.
At first, the victim’s face would certainly be so swollen that he might not be able to open his eyes, Chou said. However, he said the facial wounds would recover soon and it would be reasonable to see the swelling recede in three days.
NTU Hospital doctors said Lien’s face was still a bit swollen under the right eye and that it would take at least two weeks for the swelling to completely disappear.
They said the left of his face was less damaged than the right and that he was able to use the left side of his mouth to chew.
Meanwhile, the legal counsel for the suspect in the shooting said he wants to confront his victim over the latter’s allegation that the gunman called out Lien’s name before shooting him.
Lin Cheng-wei’s (林正偉) lawyer, Chen Chen-wei (陳振瑋), said his client admitted to having sworn at Lien, but said he absolutely did not call him by his name and would like to face Lien to clear things up.
Lin, who has not cooperated with police investigators, also wants to take a lie-detector test, the lawyer said.
Whether Sean Lien heard the gunman call his name right before firing at him is a key question prosecutors were trying to establish when they questioned him in hospital where he was receiving treatment.
Banciao District Court Chief Prosecutor Sun Chih-yuan (孫治遠), along with two other court officials, raised a number of questions regarding where Lien was standing, how he was attacked and other circumstances at the time of the shooting on Friday evening.
As the suspect insists that he had “identified the wrong target” and shot Lien by mistake, the prosecutors said they will decide whether to allow Lin and Lien to cross-examine each other.
Prosecutor Chen Cheng-fen (陳正芬) said many things remain unclear in Lin’s accounts of the origin of the weapon used, his motivation and his intended target.
Key points in the investigation are whether there is a mastermind behind the shooting, who the suspect talked to before committing the crime, and whether gambling interests are involved, Chen said.
The prosecutor also said there is no need to publish the X-rays of Lien’s injury, since the police and hospital authorities have made public all available details about Lien’s medical treatment and condition.
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