Three Chinese Nationalist Party (KMT) staff members from its New Taipei City chapter were today brought in for questioning by prosecutors in connection with allegedly falsified signatures in a recall campaign.
Raids were carried out on the New Taipei office and the residences of the three individuals this morning, following the launch of an investigation into reports of falsified personal information on recall petitions targeting ruling Democratic Progressive Party (DPP) lawmakers.
Two of the staff were from the KMT’s office in Banciao District (板橋), secretary-general Chen Chen-jung (陳貞容) and secretary Chu Pei-yi (朱蓓儀), with the third being Sanchong District (三重) office executive director Lo Ta-yu (羅大宇), the KMT New Taipei chapter said in an official statement.
Photo: Tung Kuan-yi, Taipei Times
Chen and Chu were taken from their homes, along with computers and other evidence, by investigators this morning, Huang Chih-hsiung (黃志雄), head of the KMT New Taipei City chapter, said.
The party has already arranged legal assistance for them, Huang added.
KMT New Taipei City caucus secretary-general Wang Wei-yuan (王威元) called the search “political retaliation.”
The raids took place soon after Saturday’s protest rally in Taipei organized by the opposition, strongly implying that these searches are a warning, Wang added.
The KMT respects the rule of law, the chapter said, although it called for impartial and law-abiding investigations.
The nationwide searches seem to be politically directed, Huang said, although he expressed respect for the judicial process.
Authorities should avoid unlawful investigative tactics that could intimidate citizens and undermine political expression, Huang added.
Meanwhile, prosecutors in Keelung conducted a separate search of a KMT office today in connection with another case involving allegedly fake signatures in a recall campaign targeting two DPP city councilors, Cheng Wen-ting (鄭文婷) and Jiho Chang (張之豪).
LOUD AND PROUD Taiwan might have taken a drubbing against Australia and Japan, but you might not know it from the enthusiasm and numbers of the fans Taiwan might not be expected to win the World Baseball Classic (WBC) but their fans are making their presence felt in Tokyo, with tens of thousands decked out in the team’s blue, blowing horns and singing songs. Taiwanese fans have packed out the Tokyo Dome for all three of their games so far and even threatened to drown out home team supporters when their team played Japan on Friday. They blew trumpets, chanted for their favorite players and had their own cheerleading squad who dance on a stage during the game. The team struggled to match that exuberance on the field, with
Whether Japan would help defend Taiwan in case of a cross-strait conflict would depend on the US and the extent to which Japan would be allowed to act under the US-Japan Security Treaty, former Japanese minister of defense Satoshi Morimoto said. As China has not given up on the idea of invading Taiwan by force, to what extent Japan could support US military action would hinge on Washington’s intention and its negotiation with Tokyo, Morimoto said in an interview with the Liberty Times (sister paper of the Taipei Times) yesterday. There has to be sufficient mutual recognition of how Japan could provide
UPDATED TEST: The new rules aim to assess drivers’ awareness of risky behaviors and how they respond under certain circumstances, the Highway Bureau said Driver’s license applicants who fail to yield to pedestrians at intersections or to check blind spots, or omit pointing-and-calling procedures would fail the driving test, the Highway Bureau said yesterday. The change is set to be implemented at the end of the month, and is part of the bureau’s reform of the driving portion of the test, which has been criticized for failing to assess whether drivers can operate vehicles safely. Sedan drivers would be tested regarding yielding to pedestrians and turning their heads to check blind spots, while drivers of large vehicles would be tested on their familiarity with pointing-and-calling
A Taiwanese man apologized on Friday after saying in a social media post that he worked with Australia to provide scouting reports on Taiwan’s team, enabling Australia’s victory in this year’s World Baseball Classic (WBC), saying it was a joke and that he did not hold any position with foreign teams or Taiwan’s sports training center. Chen Po-hao (陳柏豪) drew the rage of many Taiwan baseball fans when he posted online on Thursday night, claiming credit for Australia’s 3-0 win over Taiwan in the opening game for Pool C, saying he worked as a physical therapist with the national team and
RSS