Cries of political persecution
Last year, sinkholes in Jhubei City (竹北), Hsinchu County, caused multiple gas and water lines to rupture. After an investigation, the Hsinchu District Prosecutors’ Office indicted 12 people, including Hsinchu County Commissioner Yang Wen-ke (楊文科) and Yang’s senior secretary, Chiang Liang-yuan (江良淵), for profiting from illegal resumption of work, document forgery and perjury.
Prosecutors recommended that the court impose a harsh sentence and confiscate NT$250 million (US$7.67 million) of illegal gains from the defendants. Yang maintained his innocence and stated that the prosecutors had no concrete evidence against him.
Yilan County Commissioner Lin Zi-miao (林姿妙) is suspected of money laundering and illegally issuing certificates for agricultural land. Prosecutors have charged her with corruption, money laundering and forgery, among other crimes. She is currently being tried by the Yilan District Court.
Hsinchu Mayor Ann Kao (高虹安) was indicted by prosecutors due to a lawsuit involving wage fraud regarding her legislative assistants during her tenure as a legislator. The Taipei District Court is set to announce their verdict on this case next week. Keelung Mayor George Hsieh (謝國樑) is also being investigated on suspicion of multiple serious crimes including robbery and coercion.
Yang, Lin, Kao and Hsieh are all incumbent city or county heads with substantial and direct influence who are guilty of corruption and other crimes. Why have they not been detained?
Former Taoyuan mayor Cheng Wen-tsan (鄭文燦), who is being investigated on suspicion of bribery and corruption, was detained on accusations of accepting NT$5 million in bribes. Yang and the others are accused of accepting illegal gains of NT$250 million. Should these not be even more cause for detainment? The Chinese Nationalist Party (KMT) should not be making accusations of political interference by judicial means.
Once a case reaches prosecutorial investigation or a court hearing, all political parties and politicians should cease talk of political persecution so as to not influence the trial.
Chi An-hsiu
Taipei
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