Independent Greater Kaohsiung city councilor candidate Lee Cheng-hsien (李政憲) yesterday morning drove a four-by-four vehicle through the front doors of Kaohsiung City Hall and poured gasoline on the floor of the lobby as he shouted: “Rise against tyranny.”
Lee threatened to ignite the gasoline with what appeared to be an electronic lighter, but was quickly subdued by two police officers and a security guard.
Lee said his protest was aimed at Kaohsiung Deputy Mayor Lee Yung-te (李永得), whom he alleged had “persecuted” his daughter’s company — which won a bid in November 2012 to build a badminton court in Fongshan District (鳳山) — resulting in the firm spending NT$5 million (US$160,750) to maintain the venue.
Photo: CNA
No one would listen to his complaints, forcing him to resort to a “last-ditch” measure, he said.
No one was injured in the incident, which began at 10am, and the glass doors did not shatter.
Police said Lee Cheng-hsien had two 36 liter containers of gasoline in the vehicle.
Photo: CNA
A police officer stationed at the mayor’s office on the third floor rushed downstairs after hearing the loud sounds of a vehicle’s brakes and joined another officer and one of the lobby guards in overpowering Lee before handcuffing him to a chair next to the information desk, police said.
Lee Cheng-hsien was taken in for questioning and later charged with violating public safety regulations and obstructing an officer in the discharge of duties.
The deputy mayor said he had heard of Lee Cheng-hsien, but did not know him personally.
Lee Yung-te said he could not understand the candidate’s accusations, as he had never interfered with the family’s leasing of land.
Local media reports said Lee Cheng-hsien was using the sports facility as his campaign headquarters in contravention of regulations on the use of public facilities and was ordered to remove all campaign materials from the premises.
Kaohsiung Information Bureau Director-General Ting Yun-kung (丁允恭) was quoted in media reports as saying that the order was in line with the law, which specifies that the land on which the building stands can be used for sports purposes only.
Ting said candidates should not attempt to harass government agencies as a way of attracting public attention and should let their campaigns speak for themselves.
The city’s Department of Sports said the badminton court is very popular with district residents.
Additional reporting by CNA
CHANGING LANDSCAPE: Many of the part-time programs for educators were no longer needed, as many teachers obtain a graduate degree before joining the workforce, experts said Taiwanese universities this year canceled 86 programs, Ministry of Education data showed, with educators attributing the closures to the nation’s low birthrate as well as shifting trends. Fifty-three of the shuttered programs were part-time postgraduate degree programs, about 62 percent of the total, the most in the past five years, the data showed. National Taiwan Normal University (NTNU) discontinued the most part-time master’s programs, at 16: chemistry, life science, earth science, physics, fine arts, music, special education, health promotion and health education, educational psychology and counseling, education, design, Chinese as a second language, library and information sciences, mechatronics engineering, history, physical education
DEADLOCK: As the commission is unable to forum a quorum to review license renewal applications, the channel operators are not at fault and can air past their license date The National Communications Commission (NCC) yesterday said that the Public Television Service (PTS) and 36 other television and radio broadcasters could continue airing, despite the commission’s inability to meet a quorum to review their license renewal applications. The licenses of PTS and the other channels are set to expire between this month and June. The National Communications Commission Organization Act (國家通訊傳播委員會組織法) stipulates that the commission must meet the mandated quorum of four to hold a valid meeting. The seven-member commission currently has only three commissioners. “We have informed the channel operators of the progress we have made in reviewing their license renewal applications, and
The High Prosecutors’ Office yesterday withdrew an appeal against the acquittal of a former bank manager 22 years after his death, marking Taiwan’s first instance of prosecutors rendering posthumous justice to a wrongfully convicted defendant. Chu Ching-en (諸慶恩) — formerly a manager at the Taipei branch of BNP Paribas — was in 1999 accused by Weng Mao-chung (翁茂鍾), then-president of Chia Her Industrial Co, of forging a request for a fixed deposit of US$10 million by I-Hwa Industrial Co, a subsidiary of Chia Her, which was used as collateral. Chu was ruled not guilty in the first trial, but was found guilty
Taiwan People’s Party (TPP) Chairman Huang Kuo-chang (黃國昌) yesterday appealed to the authorities to release former Taipei mayor Ko Wen-je (柯文哲) from pretrial detention amid conflicting reports about his health. The TPP at a news conference on Thursday said that Ko should be released to a hospital for treatment, adding that he has blood in his urine and had spells of pain and nausea followed by vomiting over the past three months. Hsieh Yen-yau (謝炎堯), a retired professor of internal medicine and Ko’s former teacher, said that Ko’s symptoms aligned with gallstones, kidney inflammation and potentially dangerous heart conditions. Ko, charged with