The Tainan District Prosecutors’ Office today said several places associated with the Chinese Nationalist Party (KMT) were searched after it received complaints of forged recall petition signatures from two Democratic Progressive Party (DPP) lawmakers.
The KMT Tainan City Branch was among the locations searched, along with the residence of an individual surnamed Chuang (莊), where prosecutors seized party membership lists, cell phones and other evidence while summoning five suspects and related individuals, including Chuang, for questioning.
This comes amid a wave of recall campaigns targeting mostly KMT national and local officials.
Photo: Taipei Times
Two DPP lawmakers from Tainan, Wang Ting-yu (王定宇) and Lin Chun-hsien (林俊憲), were among legislators who the DPP said had constituents whose signatures had been forged on recall petitions.
Both lawmakers then sought prosecution on behalf of their constituents, the DPP said.
During the review of the first stage of the recall petitions, the Tainan Election Commission found more than 3,000 questionable petition signatures, Lin previously said on Facebook.
These included deceased people, victims of identity fraud and individuals residing outside the electoral district, Lin said.
Wang appointed a lawyer to file a legal complaint, questioning the origins of 2,000 suspicious signatures after there was no public recall campaign in his district.
Investigators will compare the materials seized today and question relevant individuals to determine whether laws have been violated, prosecutors said.
The search was no different from the “martial law era,” the KMT said in a statement today in response.
The party intends to maintain its support for all its members in the face of persecution by the DPP, it added.
Today’s search was a sign that the KMT and its supporters are to be unfairly targeted, the KMT said, adding that DPP recall petitions have not faced the same scrutiny.
The DPP is trying to cause political chaos and pursue partisan justice, it added.
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