Supreme Court Chief Justice Wu Tsan (吳燦) yesterday became the first senior judicial official to issue a public apology over a scandal that allegedly involves nearly 40 judicial workers and prosecutors who allegedly had inappropriate ties with Chia Her Industrial Co president Weng Mao-chung (翁茂鍾).
During an interview, Wu said: “I wish to apologize, on behalf of the Supreme Court, to other members of the judiciary and the public, because we have not done our task well.”
In 2012, Weng was sentenced to eight years in prison for breaching the Securities and Exchange Act (證券交易法). The sentence was later reduced to four months.
Photo: CNA
Last year, the Control Yuan passed a motion to impeach former Commission on the Disciplinary Sanctions of Functionaries secretary-general Shih Mu-chin (石木欽), a friend of Weng, for allegedly breaching the Judges Act (法官法).
Shih, who until 2017 served a Supreme Court judge, did not to recuse himself from cases involving Weng and allegedly provided Weng with legal advice, investigators of the Judicial Yuan and the Ministry of Justice said.
Investigators in January said they had found that up to 40 judicial works have had “inappropriate dealings” with Weng.
Of the 20 judges involved, Lin Chi-fu (林奇福), Yen Nan-chuan (顏南全) and Wu Hsiung-ming (吳雄銘) have admitted that they have handled cases involving Weng.
Wu Tsan cited former Judicial Yuan vice president Su Yung-chin (蘇永欽) as saying that “even if one is dissatisfied with the Supreme Court, they should still retain basic respect for the court of final appeal.”
However, the Weng scandal has undermined public trust in the judiciary, Wu Tsan said.
Media reports on the case have irrevocably tarnished the court’s reputation, and in extension that of the entire judiciary, he said.
Members of the judiciary would not have to cut all personal ties, but they must be careful to keep them separated from their professional dealings, Wu Tsan said.
However, he hopes that the issue would soon subside and the court return to its daily business as court of final appeal, Wu Tsan said.
The Supreme Court has to work to gain respect by the public and the lower courts, he said.
‘DENIAL DEFENSE’: The US would increase its military presence with uncrewed ships, and submarines, while boosting defense in the Indo-Pacific, a Pete Hegseth memo said The US is reorienting its military strategy to focus primarily on deterring a potential Chinese invasion of Taiwan, a memo signed by US Secretary of Defense Pete Hegseth showed. The memo also called on Taiwan to increase its defense spending. The document, known as the “Interim National Defense Strategic Guidance,” was distributed this month and detailed the national defense plans of US President Donald Trump’s administration, an article in the Washington Post said on Saturday. It outlines how the US can prepare for a potential war with China and defend itself from threats in the “near abroad,” including Greenland and the Panama
The Chinese Nationalist Party (KMT) is maintaining close ties with Beijing, the Democratic Progressive Party (DPP) said yesterday, hours after a new round of Chinese military drills in the Taiwan Strait began. Political parties in a democracy have a responsibility to be loyal to the nation and defend its sovereignty, DPP spokesman Justin Wu (吳崢) told a news conference in Taipei. His comments came hours after Beijing announced via Chinese state media that the Chinese People’s Liberation Army’s Eastern Theater Command was holding large-scale drills simulating a multi-pronged attack on Taiwan. Contrary to the KMT’s claims that it is staunchly anti-communist, KMT Deputy
RESPONSE: The government would investigate incidents of Taiwanese entertainers in China promoting CCP propaganda online in contravention of the law, the source said Taiwanese entertainers living in China who are found to have contravened cross-strait regulations or collaborated with the Chinese Communist Party (CCP) could be subject to fines, a source said on Sunday. Several Taiwanese entertainers have posted on the social media platform Sina Weibo saying that Taiwan “must be returned” to China, and sharing news articles from Chinese state media. In response, the Mainland Affairs Council (MAC) has asked the Ministry of Culture to investigate whether the entertainers had contravened any laws, and asked for them to be questioned upon their return to Taiwan, an official familiar with the matter said. To curb repeated
Myanmar has turned down an offer of assistance from Taiwanese search-and-rescue teams after a magnitude 7.7 earthquake struck the nation on Friday last week, saying other international aid is sufficient, the National Fire Agency said yesterday. More than 1,700 have been killed and 3,400 injured in the quake that struck near the central Myanmar city of Mandalay early on Friday afternoon, followed minutes later by a magnitude 6.7 aftershock. Worldwide, 13 international search-and-rescue teams have been deployed, with another 13 teams mobilizing, the agency said. Taiwan’s search-and-rescue teams were on standby, but have since been told to stand down, as
RSS