Democratic Progressive Party (DPP) lawmakers yesterday urged prosecutors to impose a travel ban on former president Ma Ying-jeou (馬英九) ahead of his planned trips to Malaysia and the US next month, amid reports that the Taipei District Prosecutors’ Office plans to relaunch investigations into eight criminal cases involving Ma.
A report by Chinese-language Mirror Media said the office plans to summon Ma for questioning in the cases, which include allegedly soliciting former prosecutor-general Huang Shih-ming (黃世銘) to leak sensitive information; allegedly agreeing to waive royalty fees on the use of Taipei Dome property to benefit the Farglory Group and allegedly helping Fubon Bank to generate illegal profits in its merger with Taipei Bank.
DPP legislators Wang Ding-yu (王定宇), Tsai Yi-yu (蔡易餘), Chuang Ruei-hsiung (莊瑞雄) and Lo Chih-cheng (羅致政) called on prosecutors to issue a travel ban, saying it would prevent Ma from absconding and destroying evidence.
Photo: CNA
Wang called on prosecutors to reopen the probe into the alleged leak and the Taipei Dome case, saying that the Special Investigation Division of the Supreme Prosecutors’ Office hastily concluded the cases before Ma stepped down in May to ensure his innocence.
The office is planning to question Ma over allegedly instigating Huang to reveal information to former premier Jiang Yi-huah (江宜樺) in 2013, but the case was wrongfully merged with another charge against Huang rather than being treated as a separate case, Wang said.
“As the president, Ma enjoyed immunity from prosecution, and investigations involving him were ended prematurely. Ma’s involvement in the leak and the Taipei Dome case are obvious, and the office should reopen those cases so that the public regains trust in the judiciary,” Wang said.
Tsai said the judge’s acceptance of the “reservoir theory,” which Ma used to defend his use of discretionary funds during his tenure as Taipei mayor was an obvious attempt to acquit Ma of embezzlement, adding that the office should act according to its conscience and re-examine those cases.
The Presidential Office, which green-lighted Ma’s planned trips, was solely concerned with the risks to national intelligence, while a potential travel ban would prevent absconding or spoliation of evidence, Tsai said.
In a recent poll, 53 percent of respondents said it was inappropriate for Ma to ask to visit foreign countries in the months after he stepped down, Lo said, adding that Ma should refrain from leaving the nation when he is expecting to face criminal investigation.
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