When the hunter becomes the hunted

Next magazine, Taipei's top muckraking journal, found out Premier Wu Den-yih and his wife paid a visit to the Indonesian resort island of Bali towards the end of December last year, while he was still a lawmaker and secretary-general of the ruling Kuomintang (KMT), together with a local mafia don and Nantou magistrate Li Chao-ching. In the latest issue, which hit the newsstand last week, the muckraker published a scandalous expose suggesting Wu has been on very close terms with Chiang Chin-liang, who is on parole after doing time for murder, gun-running and extortion, and heads an association for the promotion of tourism in the landlocked county of Nantou. Incidentally, Wu hails from Nantou and was a two-term magistrate of the county from 1981 to 1989. Chiang was sentenced to 20 years in prison. If not paroled, he would have to stay behind bars until 2017.

The timing was right for Lee Wen-chung, a former Democratic Progressive Party (DPP) lawmaker who is running for magistrate of Nantou. Only four weeks off, on December 5, voters will go to the polls to elect altogether 17 magistrates and mayors across the nation. Lee is lagging behind Li, the KMT incumbent seeking a second term, in popular vote support.

So the Next expose must be a godsend to a beleaguered Lee trying hard to come from behind to win the year-end race. With the nose of a good hunting dog, Lee tracked down his prey and charged Wu with helping Chiang win contracts for gravel mining from the incumbent magistrate and fixing the election of the speaker and deputy speaker of the county council, while all three of them were together on their brief Bali tour. Lee was certain he had Wu cornered. Leaders of the opposition party started a chorus of calls on President M a Ying-jeou to fire Wu as head of government for mafia connections. Should Wu fall, Li would fall with him. Lee's election would be assured.

But the tables were turned on Lee. The hunter became the hunted.

Wu, on the defensive when Next exposed his trip to Bali with Chiang, launched a bold counterattack on Friday. He admitted he was with the alleged mafioso on Bali. He said Chiang is an acquaintance, but admitted one of his assistants arranged a special visit in prison for the latter, albeit he had not been told of the arrangement. He then fired a broadside.

The premier put his job on the line. He challenged his accuser to produce in three days sufficient evidence to prove his underhand political maneuvering. He would step down as premier if Lee could prove he is involved in the alleged scandals. Should no evidence be produced, Wu demanded, Lee should withdraw the charges as false and offer a public apology. He also threatened to sue Lee for libel if no apology were offered.

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