Six people early yesterday were released on bail, and another was released without bail, after being questioned over their alleged involvement in the falsification of signatures on recall vote petitions targeting Democratic Progressive Party (DPP) lawmakers.
The case relates to two recall vote campaigns directed at DPP legislators Rosalia Wu (吳思瑤) and Wu Pei-yi (吳沛憶), who represent Taipei’s first and fifth electoral districts.
Liu Ssu-yin (劉思吟), Lai Yi-jen (賴苡任) and Man Chih-kang (滿志剛) were each released on NT$500,000 bail, Lee Hsiao-liang (李孝亮) and Lin Jui (林叡) each posted bail of NT$300,000, while Chen Kuan-an (陳冠安) was released on NT$200,000 bail, the Taipei District Prosecutors’ Office said.
Photo: CNA
Liu, Lai, Man and Chen are members of the Chinese Nationalist Party (KMT) Youth League.
The six suspects are barred from leaving Taiwan, prosecutors said.
Chang Ko-chin (張克晉), who has led the campaign targeting Rosalia Wu, was questioned as a suspect and released without bail.
Prosecutors also questioned as potential witnesses Hsieh Li-hua (謝麗華), a co-organizer of the campaign targeting Wu Pei-yi; Hsieh’s husband, surnamed Chen (陳); Jan Chia-wen (詹嘉文), lead proposer in the first stage of the recall campaign against Rosalia Wu; and Lee’s mother, surnamed Chen (陳).
After six residences were searched on Monday as part of the investigation, some KMT members said that prosecutors were targeting opposition supporters for political reasons.
KMT lawmakers Wang Hung-wei (王鴻薇), Lee Yen-hsiu (李彥秀), Lo Chih-chiang (羅智強) and Hsu Chiao-hsin (徐巧芯) appeared outside the Taipei District Prosecutors’ Office on Monday night to protest what they called “judicial injustice” and “political persecution.”
Dozens of police officers from Taipei’s Zhongzheng First Precinct were dispatched to the scene, police said.
The investigation into alleged signature fraud was launched last month after DPP members, including party spokesman Justin Wu (吳崢) and Taipei City Councilor Liu Yao-jen (劉耀仁), filed complaints of possible forgery and contraventions of the Personal Data Protection Act (個人資料保護法), prosecutors said.
The Ministry of Justice Investigation Bureau began collecting information from the Central Election Commission and the Taipei City Election Commission.
Prosecutors said several signatures on the recall petitions were submitted with a signature without the namesake’s knowledge or consent.
Under the Public Officials Election and Recall Act (公職人員選舉罷免法), to recall district-elected lawmakers, signatures from at least 1 percent of the total number of eligible voters in the district must be collected in the first round. At least 10 percent must be obtained in the second round before a recall vote can be initiated.
Meanwhile, New Taipei City investigators yesterday morning searched the KMT’s office in Banciao District (板橋), questioning three people who are leading efforts to recall New Taipei City DPP legislators as well was two people who work in the office.
Lee Ching-hsiang (李清祥) and Tan Chen-yao (譚鎮耀), who are leading recall efforts against DPP legislators Wu Chi-ming (吳琪銘) and Su Chiao-hui (蘇巧慧) respectively, as well as Wang Yu-jen (王昱人), who helped organize the efforts, were summoned for questioning regarding allegations of forgery involving recall petition signatures.
Later yesterday, New Taipei City investigators also searched the KMT’s office in Sanchong District (三重), and took in for questioning staff member Lo Da-yu (羅大宇).
Additional reporting by Huang Tzu-yang and Lo Kuo-chia
Chinese Nationalist Party (KMT) Chairman Eric Chu (朱立倫), spokeswoman Yang Chih-yu (楊智伃) and Legislator Hsieh Lung-chieh (謝龍介) would be summoned by police for questioning for leading an illegal assembly on Thursday evening last week, Minister of the Interior Liu Shyh-fang (劉世芳) said today. The three KMT officials led an assembly outside the Taipei City Prosecutors’ Office, a restricted area where public assembly is not allowed, protesting the questioning of several KMT staff and searches of KMT headquarters and offices in a recall petition forgery case. Chu, Yang and Hsieh are all suspected of contravening the Assembly and Parade Act (集會遊行法) by holding
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