The Democratic Progressive Party (DPP) yesterday filed a second lawsuit against Chinese Nationalist Party (KMT) Legislator Alex Tsai (蔡正元) and former legislator Chiu Yi (邱毅) over their allegations that DPP presidential candidate Tsai Ing-wen (蔡英文) was involved in land speculation and illegal lobbying of the Taipei City Government for a rezoning project in Taipei’s Neihu District (內湖).
DPP lawyers Huang Di-ying (黃帝穎) and Hsu Ming-chun (許銘春) filed a lawsuit with the Taipei District Prosecutors’ Office at about 2pm, accusing Alex Tsai and Chiu of violating Article 90 of the Presidential and Vice Presidential Election and Recall Act (總統副總統選舉罷免法), DPP spokesperson Ruan Jhao-syong (阮昭雄) said.
“The allegations that Chiu Yi and Alex Tsai have made are fictional, not factual, and the petition of objection that Alex Tsai showed was part of legal procedures in a rezoning project, and was not a special privilege [granted to Tsai Ing-wen],” Ruan said.
Ruan was referring to a news conference in the legislature during which Alex Tsai and Chiu accused Tsai Ing-wen and her brother, Tsai Ying-yang (蔡瀛陽), of trying to illegally lobby the Taipei City Government by submitting a petition of objection.
According to the petition that Alex Tsai presented, Tsai Ing-wen and her brother requested that the city government void the government-initiated rezoning, that no more than 40 percent of the expropriated land be used for public facilities and that no gas station be included in the project.
However, it is part of legal procedures for the city government to collect opinions from landowners before making a final decision on a rezoning or urban renewal project, and it is completely legal, Ruan said.
Chiu also denied at the news conference that he apologized to Tsai Ing-wen in court after he was sued for making allegations in a political commentary show that she was behind the shooting of KMT Central Standing Committee member Sean Lien (連勝文) in 2010.
However, Ruan presented a copy of the court transcript, in which Chiu was quoted as saying that he was saddened by the fact that Lien was shot at the time, and was unable to gather more accurate information as he was on the show.
“As the remark might have created a negative image of the candidate, I felt anxious afterwards, and therefore would like to express my apologies,” Chiu said in the transcript.
SPACE VETERAN: Kjell N. Lindgren, who helps lead NASA’s human spaceflight missions, has been on two expeditions on the ISS and has spent 311 days in space Taiwan-born US astronaut Kjell N. Lindgren is to visit Taiwan to promote technological partnerships through one of the programs organized by the US for its 250th national anniversary. Lindgren would be in Taiwan from Tuesday to Saturday next week as part of the US Bureau of Educational and Cultural Affairs’ US Speaker Program, organized to celebrate the 250th anniversary of the signing of the Declaration of Independence, the American Institute in Taiwan (AIT) said in a statement yesterday. Lindgren plans to engage with key leaders across the nation “to advance cutting-edge technological partnerships and inspire the next generation of scientists and engineers,”
UNREASONABLE SURVEILLANCE: A camera targeted on an road by a neighbor captured a man’s habitual unsignaled turn into home, netting him dozens of tickets The Taichung High Administrative Court has canceled all 45 tickets given to a man for failing to use a turn signal while driving, as it considered long-term surveillance of his privacy more problematic than the traffic violations. The man, surnamed Tseng (曾), lives in Changhua County and was reported 45 times within a month for failing to signal while driving when he turned into the alley where his residence is. The reports were filed by his neighbor, who set up security cameras that constantly monitored not only the alley but also the door and yard of Tseng’s house. The surveillance occurred from July
A Japan Self-Defense Forces vessel entered the Taiwan Strait yesterday, Japanese media reported. After passing through the Taiwan Strait, the Ikazuchi was to proceed to the South China Sea to take part in a joint military exercise with the US and the Philippines, the reports said. Japan Self-Defense Force vessels were first reported to have passed through the strait in September, 2024, with two further transits taking place in February and June last year, the Asahi Shimbun reported. Yesterday’s transit also marked the first time since Japanese Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi took office that a Japanese warship has been sent through the Taiwan
‘SAME OLD TRICK’: Even if Beijing resumes individual travel to Taiwan, it would only benefit Chinese tourism companies, the Economic Democracy Union convener said China’s 10 new “incentives” are “sugar-coated poison,” an official said yesterday, adding that Taiwanese businesses see them clearly for what they are, but that Beijing would inevitably find some local collaborators to try to drums up support. The official, speaking on condition of anonymity, made the remark ahead of a news conference the General Chamber of Commerce is to hold today. The event, titled “Industry Perspectives on China’s Recent Pro-Taiwan Policies,” is expected to include representatives from industry associations — such as those in travel, hotels, food and agriculture — to request the government cooperate with China’s new measures, people familiar with
RSS