A suspect has been arrested for a threatening post targeting prosecutors in the Core Pacific City Co corruption case that they allegedly shared on Threads yesterday, people familiar with the matter said.
The suspect, surnamed Tai (戴), was arrested this afternoon in New Taipei City’s Sijhih District (汐止), sources said.
Taipei prosecutors summoned former Taipei Deputy Mayor Pong Cheng-sheng (彭振聲) to the Taipei District Court on Tuesday in connection with the Core Pacific case. At about 9am, Pong was waiting for his hearing to begin when he received a call from his family saying that his wife had died that morning after falling from a building in Kaohsiung.
Photo: Screen grab from Threads
A post yesterday created on the social media platform Threads by a user nicknamed “Mayday1990” (account “rosetree881) included the photographs and names of 11 prosecutors working on the case and the words “a life for a life.”
Police said they believe the post constitutes a threat to public safety.
The Taipei City Police Department’s Criminal Investigation Division has launched an investigation into the case to ensure the safety of prosecutors, judges and law enforcement officials, the Taipei District Prosecutors’ Office said in a statement last night.
Prosecutors have also asked Meta to provide relevant data from Facebook.
After Pong's wife died, the Chinese Nationalist Party (KMT) and Taiwan People’s Party (TPP) accused the judiciary of political persecution. People also criticized the case online, including “Mayday1990.”
Authorities have condemned the behavior and called for an investigation.
The Ministry of Justice last night said in a statement that it would “not tolerate provocation of the judiciary.”
Public discourse should remain rational, reasonable and in line with the law and judicial values, it said.
Minister of Justice Cheng Ming-chien (鄭銘謙) has instructed Taipei chief prosecutor Wang Chun-li (王俊力) to ensure the safety of the prosecutors involved and thoroughly investigate any threatening or violent actions, the ministry said.
Although freedom of speech is protected under the Constitution, it is not above the law — spreading hateful or threatening speech and launching unfounded attacks online not only endangers the prosecutors involved, but also undermines trust in the judiciary and social order, the ministry said.
Today, the Judicial Yuan condemned the post and confirmed that evidence is being collected for a police investigation.
The Constitution states that the judiciary must investigate independently, free from interference, regardless of political affiliation and according to the law, it said in a statement.
Respecting judicial independence and the dignity of the court is fundamental to the democratic rule of law, it said.
Threatening prosecutors’ personal safety due to dissatisfaction with a ruling crosses the line of free speech, it added.
The Executive Yuan said the government would not tolerate threats of violence targeting law enforcement officials.
Provocation is not allowed in the judicial system and social order, Executive Yuan spokeswoman Michelle Lee (李慧芝) told a regular news conference in Taipei.
Meanwhile, TPP Chairman Huang Kuo-chang (黃國昌) said that such behavior should not be tolerated.
He urged the Ministry of Justice to “handle the case properly.”
This afternoon, Pong arrived at the mourning hall set up for his wife at Kaohsiung’s Jingsi Hall (靜思園會館). He did not respond to reporters’ questions.
Additional reporting by Hung Ting-hung and Fion Khan
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