The Chinese Nationalist Party’s (KMT) Yilan chapter was searched today and at least three people were brought in for questioning over recall fraud allegations, local media reported.
The prosecutors are investigating fraudulent petition signatures in a recall campaign against Democratic Progressive Party Legislator Chen Chun-yu (陳俊宇), people familiar with the matter said.
More than 40 signatures were from deceased people and more than 10 signatures were forged, sources said.
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The case is to be transferred to the Yilan District Prosecutors’ Office today for further investigation into suspected document forgery and contraventions of the Personal Data Protection Act (個人資料保護法).
Prosecutors this morning searched the KMT’s Yilan chapter office and the residence of the recall campaign leader, Lee Hui-ling (李惠玲), who was then brought in for questioning.
Prosecutors took away a box of documents and brought in two other staffers, surnamed Lee (李) and Wang (汪), for questioning at about 12:30pm today.
Others involved in the recall campaign were also summoned for questioning and their residences were also searched.
KMT Yilan chapter director Lin Ming-chang (林明昌) was not summoned for questioning.
KMT Yilan County Councilor Joy Huang (黃琤婷) slammed the actions as not being an investigation, but suppression, and not democratic, but political persecution.
Judicial interference and political intimidation are worrying, she said.
People are entitled to recall politicians by the Constitution, which is the foundation of democracy, she said.
Chen said in a news release that he respects the public’s right to recall politicians and is willing to communicate with Yilan residents.
However, forging and using signatures from deceased people are not the exercising of civil rights, but trampling on the democratic system, he said.
Manipulating public opinion and creating confrontation with illegal means are not acceptable, he said.
The judiciary would carry out justice, he added.
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