Fri, Apr 07, 2006 page2

• The story of the man who blew his career in a motel

  DOWN AND OUT Cheng Chung-mo's career had not been devoid of controversy before allegations of an affair with a woman 30 years his junior led to his resignation

  • By Jean Lin / STAFF REPORTER
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  After a seemingly peaceful decade-long career in the public service, grand justice and Vice President of the Judicial Yuan Cheng Chung-mo (城仲模) yesterday resigned from both of his posts in the wake of accusations that he was having an extramarital affair.

  Denying the allegations, Cheng, 68, said he chose to resign because the scandal marred his reputation as a judicial official.

  Cheng started off as a law professor in the 1970s teaching first at Fu Hsing Kang College and then at National Chung Hsing University from 1973 to 1982.

  After earning a doctorate in law from the University of Vienna in Austria, he also served as a guest professor there for one year in 1980.

  He then officially began his public service career as commissioner of the Taiwan Provincial Government from 1982 to 1990 and then commissioner of the Examination Yuan from 1990 to 1994.

  In 1998, he was named minister of justice.

  During his one-year tenure, Cheng took action to counter the illegal collection of sand and stone from river banks by construction firms and the illegal construction of houses on hillsides -- two prime causes of landslides that year after frequent typhoons.

  Some had speculated that he rose quickly through the ranks because of his good relations with former president Lee Teng-hui (李登輝) and President Chen Shui-bian (陳水扁).

  Cheng became the vice president of the Judicial Yuan in 1999.

  However, in 2003, the non-governmental Judicial Reform Foundation rated Cheng as "not appropriate" for the positions of grand justice or vice president of the Judicial Yuan.

  Kao Yung-cheng (高勇誠), executive director of the foundation, told the Taipei Times yesterday that the ratings in 2003 were conducted via surveys targeting judicial experts and over two-thirds of the people polled had felt that Cheng "talked the talk but did not walk the walk."

  Kao yesterday described Cheng as often "saying one thing and doing another" and having "complicated relations with politicians and businessmen."

  "Our foundation welcomes the resignation of Cheng because it is a smart decision to let the scandal die down and not hurt his own and his family's reputation," Kao said.

  In September 2004, Cheng was accused of calling the then independent Legislator Su Ying-kuei (蘇盈貴) to try to persuade him to veto the March 19 Shooting Truth Investigation Special Committee Statute (三一九槍擊事件真相調查特別委員會條例).

  Cheng had then confirmed that he did call Su from the UK when he was on a business trip but denied trying to persuade Su of anything, saying that he was merely concerned about floods in Taiwan.

  Two legislators on the Judiciary Committee at the Legislative Yuan, Taiwan Solidarity Union Legislator Kuo Lin-yung (郭林勇) and Chinese Nationalist Party (KMT) Kao Su-po (高思博), both said Cheng's contribution to the judicial sphere was undeniable.

  Kuo said Cheng had done a good job as grand justice over the years but the scandal demonstrated that the public had made its own judgement despite Cheng's excuses.

  Kao Su-po said he felt Cheng was a great scholar, but that he had caused too many controversies as grand justice.

  He described Cheng as "serious," like an academic, "active and social," and "decisive," since Cheng willingly resigned yesterday to resolve the problem right away.

  "[Cheng] shouldn't try to cover up what really happened with the woman, if something really did happen," Kao Su-po said.

  "He should admit to any affair, as the public would not judge him as harshly because it is a private matter," he said.

  Cheng reportedly has a good and steady relationship with his wife, so judicial officials expressed surprise at the allegations, according to local media reports.

  Cheng's son, designer Cheng Chao-wei (城兆緯), was the topic of sensationalist media coverage years before that focused on his long hair and a tendency to wear make-up and skirts.

  But reports said that Cheng was open-minded and that he had a good relationship with his son.
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