A witness believed to be crucial to the ongoing investigation into the murder of ROC Navy Captain Yin Ching-feng (
A Hong Kong court on July 12 ruled that Shan Yi-cheng (
Investigators probing the navy warship procurement scan-dal and related murder said that Shan's return would aid their inquiries.
Chinese-language newspapers reported yesterday that Shan was to be deported from Hong Kong and that prosecutors and police were planning to arrest him at Kaohsiung International Airport when he stepped off the plane.
However, Shan, accompanied by his attorney, said in an announcement in Hong Kong yesterday that there was no warrant issued for his arrest and therefore the police could not legally arrest him.
But he said he was willing to return to Taiwan and would answer questions from military procurement investigators.
One prosecutor admitted yesterday that no such order had been issued for Shan's arrest, due to a lack of sufficient evidence indicating criminal involvement.
Shan, who brokered the sale of two minesweepers, was alleged to have pocketed a commission of US$2.5 million.
He fled the country after Yin's death and disappeared until he was detained by Hong Kong authorities in March.
Yin's body was found drifting off the coast of Suao, Ilan County, on Dec. 9, 1993, apparently killed by a blow to the back of his head.
It has long been suspected that Yin was killed because he held incriminating information on navy officials involved in scandals related to the naval procurement.
Investigation of the Yin case led to 28 military officers, including 15 generals, being found guilty of corruption and accepting bribes from arms dealers. No one has ever been prosecuted, however, for Yin's murder.
SECURITY: As China is ‘reshaping’ Hong Kong’s population, Taiwan must raise the eligibility threshold for applications from Hong Kongers, Chiu Chui-cheng said When Hong Kong and Macau citizens apply for residency in Taiwan, it would be under a new category that includes a “national security observation period,” Mainland Affairs Council (MAC) Minister Chiu Chui-cheng (邱垂正) said yesterday. President William Lai (賴清德) on March 13 announced 17 strategies to counter China’s aggression toward Taiwan, including incorporating national security considerations into the review process for residency applications from Hong Kong and Macau citizens. The situation in Hong Kong is constantly changing, Chiu said to media yesterday on the sidelines of the Taipei Technology Run hosted by the Taipei Neihu Technology Park Development Association. With
CARROT AND STICK: While unrelenting in its military threats, China attracted nearly 40,000 Taiwanese to over 400 business events last year Nearly 40,000 Taiwanese last year joined industry events in China, such as conferences and trade fairs, supported by the Chinese government, a study showed yesterday, as Beijing ramps up a charm offensive toward Taipei alongside military pressure. China has long taken a carrot-and-stick approach to Taiwan, threatening it with the prospect of military action while reaching out to those it believes are amenable to Beijing’s point of view. Taiwanese security officials are wary of what they see as Beijing’s influence campaigns to sway public opinion after Taipei and Beijing gradually resumed travel links halted by the COVID-19 pandemic, but the scale of
TRADE: A mandatory declaration of origin for manufactured goods bound for the US is to take effect on May 7 to block China from exploiting Taiwan’s trade channels All products manufactured in Taiwan and exported to the US must include a signed declaration of origin starting on May 7, the Bureau of Foreign Trade announced yesterday. US President Donald Trump on April 2 imposed a 32 percent tariff on imports from Taiwan, but one week later announced a 90-day pause on its implementation. However, a universal 10 percent tariff was immediately applied to most imports from around the world. On April 12, the Trump administration further exempted computers, smartphones and semiconductors from the new tariffs. In response, President William Lai’s (賴清德) administration has introduced a series of countermeasures to support affected
Pope Francis is be laid to rest on Saturday after lying in state for three days in St Peter’s Basilica, where the faithful are expected to flock to pay their respects to history’s first Latin American pontiff. The cardinals met yesterday in the Vatican’s synod hall to chart the next steps before a conclave begins to choose Francis’ successor, as condolences poured in from around the world. According to current norms, the conclave must begin between May 5 and 10. The cardinals set the funeral for Saturday at 10am in St Peter’s Square, to be celebrated by the dean of the College