The KMT said yesterday it won't seek reconsideration of a decision by the Taipei District Prosecutors' Office not to indict People First Party (PFP) Chairman James Soong (
The KMT had until yesterday to apply for reconsideration of the Jan. 20 decision, which found that there was no evidence to indict Soong in the Chung Hsing bills finance case (
The deadline passed yesterday without the KMT taking action and a party spokesman acknowledged that political considerations were the reason it wasn't pursuing its earlier allegations against Soong.
"Political stability is of primary importance," KMT spokesman Jason Hu (胡志強) said. "It's time to bring together all our strengths to bring Taiwan stability and prosperity."
Hu said the party would not apply for a reconsideration of the prosecutors' decision "out of consideration of the common good of the nation and the stability of our society."
The KMT's decision disappointed its lawyers undertaking the lawsuit. "The grave flaws in the [prosecutors'] ruling not to indict are obvious to all. Exercising the conscience of legal professionals, we find the ruling impossible to accept," the five-member legal team said yesterday in a statement.
The lawyers said in the statement that they must respect their client's decision -- though the decision did not meet their expectations or beliefs.
Chang Nai-liang (張迺良), convener of the legal team, said that although it was now certain that Soong would not be indicted, Soong's name had not really been cleared.
"There are still too many questions left unsolved," he said, arguing that the case had been killed before it was halfway through.
He added that it was not wise for the KMT to allow political considerations to override justice.
"Political situations are always changing," he said. "The PFP joined together with the KMT in the current coalition in its own interests, but it could abandon the KMT when it is in its interest to do so."
"However, by not applying for reconsideration, the KMT appears to be endorsing Soong's behavior and will lose the trust of voters."
The KMT in its statement also said it regretted the "flaws" in the prosecutors' investigation.
"During the time [of the one-year investigation], the prosecution did not summon for questioning anyone from our party connected with the case ? [instead, the prosecution] simply adopted one side of the story," the statement said.
The PFP said it welcomed the KMT's decision.
"We are glad to learn that the KMT respects the results of the judicial investigation. We also appreciate the KMT's willingness to abandon old feuds and make a fresh start," PFP spokesman Chin Chin-sheng (
Meanwhile, the Judicial Reform Foundation yesterday morning petitioned the Control Yuan for an investigation into whether the officiating prosecutor in the case had neglected his duty and violated the law in deciding not to indict.
The petitioners argued that Taipei District divisional head prosecutor Hung Tai-wen (
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