After refusing attend a court hearing on Wednesday, DPP Deputy Secretary-General Lee Chin-yung (
Lee told a press conference yesterday that his absence on Wednesday was to protest prosecutors allowing politics to interfere with judicial proceedings.
Lee also filed a complaint with the Control Yuan yesterday accusing Hualien's chief prosecutor, Yang Ta-chih (
PHOTO: CNA
"Yang had violated the principle of withholding investigation information before the lawsuit was established when he revealed information to the media about an alleged vote-buying practice by DPP supporters," Lee said.
"He also contacted reporters about a press conference to attack Minister of the Interior Yu Cheng-hsien (
A lawyer himself, Lee explained his reason for rejecting the interrogation request.
"I wanted to reveal how some prosecutors in Hualien had betrayed the principle of judicial impartiality in handling their cases. The prosecutors should have weighed properly the necessity to use the investigation authority instead of bringing charges against me in such a hasty manner," Lee said.
The Hualien Prosecutors' Office charged Lee because of a DPP campaign promise to give a monthly service allowance of NT$5,000 to Hualien Aboriginal chieftains if the party's candidate, You Ying-lung (游盈隆), was elected as county commissioner.
Lee said making campaign promises is a legal practice in any democratic society, which guarantees candidates can propose beneficial policies to their supporters.
Lee added that President Chen Shui-bian (
"How come these former candidates have never faced similar prosecution?" he asked.
Lee said the proposed service allowance increase for Aboriginal chieftains is a designated policy studied by the Executive Yuan's Council of Indigenous Peoples (
"Chieftains are esteemed in Aboriginal society. They also have a responsibility to help with the tribal public affairs. Their role is similar to that of a borough chief. If the allowance increase for borough chiefs in Han society can be established, why can this not be applied to Aboriginal society," Lee said.
More than half of the bamboo vipers captured in Tainan in the past few years were found in the city’s Sinhua District (新化), while other districts had smaller catches or none at all. Every year, Tainan captures about 6,000 snakes which have made their way into people’s homes. Of the six major venomous snakes in Taiwan, the cobra, the many-banded krait, the brown-spotted pit viper and the bamboo viper are the most frequently captured. The high concentration of bamboo vipers captured in Sinhua District is puzzling. Tainan Agriculture Bureau Forestry and Nature Conservation Division head Chu Chien-ming (朱健明) earlier this week said that the
Kenting National Park service technician Yang Jien-fon (楊政峰) won a silver award in World Grand Prix Photography Awards Spring Season for his photograph of two male rat snakes intertwined in combat. Yang’s colleagues at Kenting National Park said he is a master of nature photography who has been held back by his job in civil service. The awards accept entries in all four seasons across six categories: architectural and urban photography, black-and-white and fine art photography, commercial and fashion photography, documentary and people photography, nature and experimental photography, and mobile photography. Awards are ranked according to scores and divided into platinum, gold and
NAMING SPAT: The foreign ministry called on Denmark to propose an acceptable solution to the erroneous nationality used for Taiwanese on residence permits Taiwan has revoked some privileges for Danish diplomatic staff over a Danish permit that lists “Taiwan” as “China,” Eric Huang (黃鈞耀), head of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs’ Department of European Affairs, told a news conference in Taipei yesterday. Reporters asked Huang whether the Danish government had responded to the ministry’s request that it correct the nationality on Danish residence permits of Taiwanese, which has been listed as “China” since 2024. Taiwan’s representative office in Denmark continues to communicate with the Danish government, and the ministry has revoked some privileges previously granted to Danish representatives in Taiwan and would continue to review
The first bluefin tuna of the season, brought to shore in Pingtung County and weighing 190kg, was yesterday auctioned for NT$10,600 (US$333.5) per kilogram, setting a record high for the local market. The auction was held at the fish market in Donggang Fishing Harbor, where the Siaoliouciou Island-registered fishing vessel Fu Yu Ching No. 2 delivered the “Pingtung First Tuna” it had caught for bidding. Bidding was intense, and the tuna was ultimately jointly purchased by a local restaurant and a local company for NT$10,600 per kilogram — NT$300 ,more than last year — for a total of NT$2.014 million. The 67-year-old skipper
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