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.
PRAISE: Japanese visitor Takashi Kubota said the Taiwanese temple architecture images showcased in the AI Art Gallery were the most impressive displays he saw Taiwan does not have an official pavilion at the World Expo in Osaka, Japan, because of its diplomatic predicament, but the government-backed Tech World pavilion is drawing interest with its unique recreations of works by Taiwanese artists. The pavilion features an artificial intelligence (AI)-based art gallery showcasing works of famous Taiwanese artists from the Japanese colonial period using innovative technologies. Among its main simulated displays are Eastern gouache paintings by Chen Chin (陳進), Lin Yu-shan (林玉山) and Kuo Hsueh-hu (郭雪湖), who were the three young Taiwanese painters selected for the East Asian Painting exhibition in 1927. Gouache is a water-based
Taiwan would welcome the return of Honduras as a diplomatic ally if its next president decides to make such a move, Minister of Foreign Affairs Lin Chia-lung (林佳龍) said yesterday. “Of course, we would welcome Honduras if they want to restore diplomatic ties with Taiwan after their elections,” Lin said at a meeting of the legislature’s Foreign Affairs and National Defense Committee, when asked to comment on statements made by two of the three Honduran presidential candidates during the presidential campaign in the Central American country. Taiwan is paying close attention to the region as a whole in the wake of a
A magnitude 4.1 earthquake struck eastern Taiwan's Hualien County at 2:23pm today, according to the Central Weather Administration (CWA). The epicenter of the temblor was 5.4 kilometers northeast of Hualien County Hall, at a depth of 34.9 km, according to the CWA. The earthquake's intensity, which gauges the actual effect of a temblor, was the highest in Hualien County, where it measured 2 on Taiwan's 7-tier intensity scale. The quake also measured an intensity of 1 in Yilan county, Taichung, Nantou County, Changhua County and Yunlin County, the CWA said. There were no immediate reports of damage or injuries.
OFF-TARGET: More than 30,000 participants were expected to take part in the Games next month, but only 6,550 foreign and 19,400 Taiwanese athletes have registered Taipei city councilors yesterday blasted the organizers of next month’s World Masters Games over sudden timetable and venue changes, which they said have caused thousands of participants to back out of the international sporting event, among other organizational issues. They also cited visa delays and political interference by China as reasons many foreign athletes are requesting refunds for the event, to be held from May 17 to 30. Jointly organized by the Taipei and New Taipei City governments, the games have been rocked by numerous controversies since preparations began in 2020. Taipei City Councilor Lin Yen-feng (林延鳳) said yesterday that new measures by
RSS