The wife of former Taipei Deputy Mayor Pong Cheng-sheng (彭振聲) died today in an apparent suicide prior to Pong's appearance in court today in connection with the Core Pacific corruption case.
The Taipei District Court today summoned Pong, former Taipei mayor Ko Wen-je (柯文哲) and Sheen Ching-jing (沈慶京), founder and chairman of the real-estate conglomerate Core Pacific Group, to listen to a recording of Pong’s interrogation.
While waiting in court for the hearing to begin, Pong received a call from his family that his wife had died after falling from a building in Kaohsiung, leading to him breaking down in tears.
Photo: Tu Chien-jung, Taipei Times
Following the news, the court canceled the morning session and plans to listen to the recordings in the afternoon.
Pong told the prosecutors that he wanted to commit suicide to prove his innocence.
The court considered sending Pong to the hospital for treatment, but later allowed him to return home with his younger brother.
The Kaohsiung City Fire Department said today that it received a report at 9:01am of a woman who fell from a building in Sanming (三民) District.
Arriving on the scene, they found a 72-year-old woman surnamed Hsieh (謝), who was Pong's wife, on the ground. She was declared dead at the scene, they added.
The Taiwan People’s Party (TPP), which Pong is a member of, said that it is deeply shocked and sad, adding that its members who had been present at the court felt grief and anger as Pong expressed his sorrow.
It extended condolences to Pong and his family and called on society to show him care and understanding, it said.
The party would support Pong in handling subsequent matters and provide legal support, it said.
The Chinese Nationalist Party (KMT) said it empathized with Pong, and questioned whether the court is forcing defendants to confess, asking if this was the democratic system that President William Lai (賴清德) has highlighted.
Ruling Democratic Progressive Party (DPP) legislator Rosalia Wu (吳思瑤) said she has known Pong for years and that this is a tragic situation.
With regards to the investigation, Wu said that she hoped prosecutors and investigators would be fair.
Three batches of banana sauce imported from the Philippines were intercepted at the border after they were found to contain the banned industrial dye Orange G, the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) said yesterday. From today through Sept. 2 next year, all seasoning sauces from the Philippines are to be subject to the FDA’s strictest border inspection, meaning 100 percent testing for illegal dyes before entry is allowed, it said in a statement. Orange G is an industrial coloring agent that is not permitted for food use in Taiwan or internationally, said Cheng Wei-chih (鄭維智), head of the FDA’s Northern Center for
The Chinese military has built landing bridge ships designed to expand its amphibious options for a potential assault on Taiwan, but their combat effectiveness is limited due to their high vulnerability, a defense expert said in an analysis published on Monday. Shen Ming-shih (沈明室), a research fellow at the Institute for National Defense and Security Research, said that the deployment of such vessels as part of the Chinese People’s Liberation Army (PLA) Navy’s East Sea Fleet signals a strong focus on Taiwan. However, the ships are highly vulnerable to precision strikes, which means they could be destroyed before they achieve their intended
LOOKING NORTH: The base would enhance the military’s awareness of activities in the Bashi Channel, which China Coast Guard ships have been frequenting, an expert said The Philippine Navy on Thursday last week inaugurated a forward operating base in the country’s northern most province of Batanes, which at 185km from Taiwan would be strategically important in a military conflict in the Taiwan Strait. The Philippine Daily Inquirer quoted Northern Luzon Command Commander Lieutenant General Fernyl Buca as saying that the base in Mahatao would bolster the country’s northern defenses and response capabilities. The base is also a response to the “irregular presence this month of armed” of China Coast Guard vessels frequenting the Bashi Channel in the Luzon Strait just south of Taiwan, the paper reported, citing a
UNDER PRESSURE: The report cited numerous events that have happened this year to show increased coercion from China, such as military drills and legal threats The Chinese Communist Party (CCP) aims to reinforce its “one China” principle and the idea that Taiwan belongs to the People’s Republic of China by hosting celebratory events this year for the 80th anniversary of the end of World War II, the “retrocession” of Taiwan and the establishment of the UN, the Mainland Affairs Council (MAC) said in its latest report to the Legislative Yuan. Taking advantage of the significant anniversaries, Chinese officials are attempting to assert China’s sovereignty over Taiwan through interviews with international news media and cross-strait exchange events, the report said. Beijing intends to reinforce its “one China” principle
RSS