Forensic scientist Henry Lee (李昌鈺) will join the team of investigators looking into the circumstances surrounding the shooting of Sean Lien (連勝文) on the eve of the special municipality elections late last month.
The US-based Lee, who was in Taiwan yesterday to attend the establishment of the “Henry Lee Forensic Science Lecture Workshop” at National Taiwan University of Science and Technology, told reporters he had discussed Lien’s case with the Criminal Investigation Bureau, especially regarding the German-made pistol believed to have been used in the shooting.
Lee said he would look at the forensics and material evidence, but would not involve himself in the criminal and political aspects of the case.
PHOTO: WANG MIN-WEI, TAIPEI TIMES
“I only want to do forensic work on this case; other investigation activities relating to the case are of no interest to me,” he said. “Criminal investigations should not be mixed with forensic work.”
It would not be the first time Lee has assisted investigators in high-profile criminal cases. He helped forensics experts in their probe of the March 2004 election-eve assassination attempt on former president Chen Shui-bian (陳水扁) and vice president Annette Lu (呂秀蓮).
Judicial authorities have been under pressure to resolve the Lien case, in which Huang Yun-sheng (黃運聖), a 29-year-old bystander, was killed.
Suspected gunman Lin Cheng-wei (林正偉), who also goes by the name Ma Mien (馬面), has reportedly told investigators that he shot Lien, a son of former vice president Lien Chan (連戰), by mistake, saying that he had wanted to shoot a local Chinese Nationalist Party (KMT) politician, Taipei County Deputy Speaker Chen Hung-yuan (陳鴻源), because of a land dispute involving Chen Hung-yuan’s family.
Lin’s claim was supported by the results of two polygraph sessions.
Sean Lien, who was shot in the face and was hospitalized for nine days, says the shooter was targeting him and not Chen Hung-yuan.
The incident gave rise to speculation that it was staged by KMT politicians, coming as it did just hours before the Nov. 27 elections.
Commenting on Sean Lien’s rapid recovery, Lee said it was possible for a person to recover quickly from non-fatal gunshot wounds and that a quick recovery did not necessarily mean that the shooting had been orchestrated.
A person can recover quite quickly from a shooting that does not damage major organs or tissue, he said.
The bullet entered Sean Lien’s left cheek and exited near his right temple. On his first public appearance after his discharge from hospital, Sean Lien had bandages on both sides of his face, wore a surgical mask and had a bloodshot eye. Reports that he was smiling and could eat bread days after the incident gave rise to speculation that the shooting may have been staged, or the severity of his wounds overplayed.
KMT Legislator Hsieh Kuo--liang (謝國樑), a close friend of Sean Lien, said he welcomed Lee’s participation in the investigation.
ADDITIONAL REPORTING BY FLORA WANG, STAFF REPORTER AND CNA
AIR DEFENSE: The Norwegian missile system has proved highly effective in Ukraine in its war against Russia, and the US has recommended it for Taiwan, an expert said The Norwegian Advanced Surface-to-Air Missile Systems (NASAMS) Taiwan ordered from the US would be installed in strategically important positions in Taipei and New Taipei City to guard the region, the Ministry of National Defense said in statement yesterday. The air defense system would be deployed in Taipei’s Songshan District (松山) and New Taipei City’s Tamsui District (淡水), the ministry said, adding that the systems could be delivered as soon as the end of this year. The US Defense Security Cooperation Agency has previously said that three NASAMS would be sold to Taiwan. The weapons are part of the 17th US arms sale to
INSURRECTION: The NSB said it found evidence the CCP was seeking snipers in Taiwan to target members of the military and foreign organizations in the event of an invasion The number of Chinese spies prosecuted in Taiwan has grown threefold over a four-year period, the National Security Bureau (NSB) said in a report released yesterday. In 2021 and 2022, 16 and 10 spies were prosecuted respectively, but that number grew to 64 last year, it said, adding that the Chinese Communist Party (CCP) was working with gangs in Taiwan to develop a network of armed spies. Spies in Taiwan have on behalf of the CCP used a variety of channels and methods to infiltrate all sectors of the country, and recruited Taiwanese to cooperate in developing organizations and obtaining sensitive information
BREAKTHROUGH: The US is making chips on par in yield and quality with Taiwan, despite people saying that it could not happen, the official said Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Co (TSMC, 台積電) has begun producing advanced 4-nanometer (nm) chips for US customers in Arizona, US Secretary of Commerce Gina Raimondo said, a milestone in the semiconductor efforts of the administration of US President Joe Biden. In November last year, the commerce department finalized a US$6.6 billion grant to TSMC’s US unit for semiconductor production in Phoenix, Arizona. “For the first time ever in our country’s history, we are making leading edge 4-nanometer chips on American soil, American workers — on par in yield and quality with Taiwan,” Raimondo said, adding that production had begun in recent
Seven hundred and sixty-four foreigners were arrested last year for acting as money mules for criminals, with many entering Taiwan on a tourist visa for all-expenses-paid trips, the Criminal Investigation Bureau (CIB) said on Saturday. Although from Jan. 1 to Dec. 26 last year, 26,478 people were arrested for working as money mules, the bureau said it was particularly concerned about those entering the country as tourists or migrant workers who help criminals and scammers pick up or transfer illegally obtained money. In a report, officials divided the money mules into two groups, the first of which are foreigners, mainly from Malaysia
RSS