The Chinese Nationalist Party (KMT) Yilan County chapter was searched yesterday and at least three staffers were taken in for questioning, in an investigation that local media reported is in relation to recall petition fraud.
Prosecutors are reportedly investigating fraudulent petition signatures in a recall campaign against Democratic Progressive Party Legislator Chen Chun-yu (陳俊宇).
More than 40 signatures were from deceased people and more than 10 signatures were forged, sources familiar with the matter said.
Photo: Wang Chun-chi, Taipei Times
The case was to be transferred to the Yilan District Prosecutors’ Office for further investigation of suspected document forgery and contraventions of the Personal Data Protection Act (個人資料保護法), local media reported.
Prosecutors yesterday also searched the residence of the recall campaign leader, Lee Hui-ling (李惠玲), who was then taken 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.
Others involved in the recall campaign were also summoned for questioning and their residences were searched.
KMT Yilan County chapter director Lin Ming-chang (林明昌) was not summoned for questioning.
KMT Yilan County Councilor Joy Huang (黃琤婷) criticized prosecutors, saying that it was not an investigation, but suppression and political persecution.
Judicial interference and political intimidation are concerning, she said, adding that people are entitled to recall politicians by the Constitution, which is the foundation of the nation’s democracy.
Chen in a statement said that he respects the public’s right to recall politicians and is willing to communicate with voters in Yilan County, adding that forging and using signatures of deceased people is not a civil rights, but trampling on the democratic system.
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
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
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
President William Lai (賴清德) has appointed former vice president Chen Chien-jen (陳建仁) to attend the late Pope Francis’ funeral at the Vatican City on Saturday on his behalf, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs said today. The Holy See announced Francis’ funeral would take place on Saturday at 10am in St Peter’s Square. The ministry expressed condolences over Francis’ passing and said that Chen would represent Taiwan at the funeral and offer condolences in person. Taiwan and the Vatican have a long-standing and close diplomatic relationship, the ministry said. Both sides agreed to have Chen represent Taiwan at the funeral, given his Catholic identity and
RSS