Calls from the public and the Democratic Progressive Party (DPP) to release former president Chen Shui-bian (陳水扁) on medical parole were denied as Minister of Justice Luo Ying-shay (羅瑩雪) yesterday said the prison where Chen in being held is more than capable of handling Chen’s health concerns, as he still observes normal schedules for activities and is eating and drink normally.
Luo rejected claims that there were political forces at work in the move, adding that all decisions were based on legal guidelines.
While the request for medical parole was denied, Luo said that it has been half a year since Chen was last checked by a medical team, which was when he last applied for medical parole.
Luo said that if Chen applies again for a diagnosis on whether he is fit for medical parole, the Agency of Corrections would consider including medical experts and physicians recommended by the family in the checkup team.
Chen’s son Chen Chih-chung (陳致中) later yesterday said that the family would decide on its next action after conferring with the medical team and lawyers.
Meanwhile, Chen Shui-bian’s supporters gathering at Chen Chih-chung’s office panned President Ma Ying-jeou (馬英九) for being “cold-blooded” over the decision, adding that Ma should step down from the presidency.
Greater Kaohsiung Mayor Chen Chu (陳菊) issued a statement in which she protested against the ministry’s reasons for denying Chen Shui-bian’s medical parole request, adding that she would be meeting with the DPP to discuss how the party can offer support for public calls to release Chen Shui-bian.
Separately, Presidential Office spokesperson Ma Wei-kuo (馬瑋國) said that the office respected any decisions reached by the agencies in charge.
The coast guard drove away 567 Chinese boats and seized seven illegally operating in Taiwanese waters in the first six months of this year, the Coast Guard Administration (CGA) said yesterday. They mostly operated near Kinmen and Penghu counties, resulting in fines totaling NT$1.7 million (US$52,440), it said. Three ships — two near Kinmen County and one near Penghu County — were detained in January for illegally crossing the border, while one ship each was detained near Kinmen in February and Penghu in March respectively, it said. The ship seized near Penghu in January was the Yun Ao (雲澳), detained by the CGA’s
The entire Alishan Forest Railway line is to reopen for the first time in 15 years on Saturday, with tickets to go on sale at 2pm today. The historic railway from Chiayi to Alishan (阿里山) is finally set to reopen after the completion of the final No. 42 tunnel, Alishan Forest Railway and Cultural Heritage Office Deputy Director-General Chou Heng-kai (周恆凱) said. It is to run on a new timetable, with four trains daily, he said. The 9am train is to depart from Chiayi Railway Station bound for Shizilu Station (十字路), while the 10am train departing from Chiayi is to go all the
Military photovoltaic projects have been found to have used Chinese-made devices blacklisted by the government, including Huawei Technologies Co routers, the Ministry of National Defense’s Armaments Bureau said on Thursday. An ongoing investigation has identified the illegal use of 128 current transformers, two routers and a data reader at the Hungchailin Army Base, Pinghai Navy Base and Tri-Service General Hospital’s Songshan branch, it said. The devices were manufactured in the Chinese factories of German solar energy equipment supplier SMA Solar Technology, Taiwanese electronics manufacturer Delta Electronics Co, Chinese electronics manufacturer Huawei and Taiwanese industrial PC maker Advantech Co, the bureau said. The bureau’s
FLU CONTINUES: Hospitals reported 101,091 visits for flu-like illnesses last week, while 68 severe cases and 16 flu-related deaths were also reported, the CDC said The Centers for Disease Control (CDC) yesterday reported 932 hospitalizations due to COVID-19 and 64 related deaths for last week, adding that the number of people who had contracted new SARS-CoV-2 subvariants KP.2 and LB.1 has increased. The number of people hospitalized due to COVID-19 increased from 815 in the previous week to 932 last week, while 90 percent of the 64 deceased were aged 65 or older, CDC physician Lin Yung-ching (林詠青) said. JN.1 was still the dominant variant among local and imported cases in the past four weeks, while KP.2 was the second-most common, Lin said. Cases with the LB.1 subvariant