Former minister of transportation and communications Kuo Yao-chi (郭瑤琪), who was convicted three years ago on controversial charges, yesterday released a book giving her account of events.
Kuo, who served under former president Chen Shui-bian (陳水扁), was sentenced to eight years in prison in 2013 on corruption charges after she was accused of receiving bribes while supervising a development project. Kuo is on medical release due to a battle with cancer.
The case against her was based on the testimony of a single witness, Lee Tsung-hsien (李宗賢), son of the chairman of the group contracted for the project.
Photo: Liao Chen-huei, Taipei Times
Lee testified that he had delivered US$20,000 in cash packed in two tea boxes to Kuo. He later revoked his testimony.
A raid on Kuo’s home at the time did not turn up any evidence.
The ruling was highly controversial, with many claiming that Chen administration officials were being unfairly targeted.
A number of well-known figures, including former grand justice Tai Tung-hsiung (戴東雄), former premier Yu Shyi-kun (游錫堃), former Presidential Office secretary-general Chen Shih-meng (陳師孟), DPP caucus whip Ker Chien-ming (柯建銘), Ketagalan Institute president Chin Heng-wei (金恆煒), New Power Party Legislator Hsu Yung-ming and TV talk show host Dennis Peng (彭文正), yesterday expressed support for Kuo at the presentation of the book, titled Sunny Skies After the Storm — The Strange Case of Kuo Yao-chi’s Unjust Eight-Year Sentence (走過風雨望青天–郭瑤琪冤判八年奇案).
Yu said he believes that Kuo is innocent and that even if one were to “beat him to death” he would not believe her to be guilty.
Ker accused former president Ma Ying-jeou (馬英九) of using the judiciary to attack Kuo.
“Everyone talks about the Judicial Yuan being an independent body, but to Ma it was an implement of force, of a dictatorship. While Ma was in office the judiciary was a weapon of political strife,” Ker said.
Peng said that an unfair judicial system is something that would be hard to make up.
“If the judiciary does not value justice, there will be many more like Chen Shui-bian and Kuo Hao-chi,” he added.
Chin said the targeting of Kuo was a demonstration by legislators showing their loyalty to the administration of the time, adding that it is President Tsai Ing-wen’s (蔡英文) right to decide who to grant amnesty to, and who to “rehabilitate.”
“No matter what changes are made to the system, if you do not change the people executing it then the changes are useless. There must be a comprehensive, systematic overhaul,” Chin said.
Kuo’s husband, Peng Kuang-hui (彭光輝), who spoke on behalf of his bedridden wife, said Kuo is planning to file an extraordinary appeal on Wednesday with the Supreme Prosecutors’ Office, adding that she hopes to use the opportunity to appeal while transitional justice measures are being discussed.
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