Delegation to travel to U.S. to clear up details of Chen case

Kuomintang Legislator George Hsieh said yesterday he has been asked by high-ranking officials from the National Security Council (NSC) to lead a delegation to Washington, D.C. on mission to reiterate the impartiality of Taiwan’s legal institution.

Hsieh said the NSC officials think it necessary to explain the case to U.S. opinion leaders, as even President Ma Ying-jeou’s mentor at Harvard University, Prof. Jerome Acan Cohen, misunderstands the human rights conditions in Taiwan.

“Taiwan’s legal institution has been independent for a long time, and no one can interfere with prosecutors’ investigations,” Hsieh said.

“It is impossible to use the legal institution to impinge on human rights,” Hsieh added, outlining the message that delegation will be conveying during the trip to the United states. Legislator Trong Chai of opposition Democratic Progressive Party already visited the United States to tell the opposition camp’s own version of the story concerning the recent developments in Taiwan, Hsieh pointed out.

Chen has been detained on corruption charges, which the ex-president and his supporters claim are politically motivated.

Meanwhile, prosecutors said they will continue a probe into Chen’s attorney, Cheng Wen-lung, for allegedly breaking prison rules by delivering messages from the jailed ex-president to the public.

The Taipei Bar Association on Friday cleared Cheng in an ethics probe over the message delivery.

But prosecutors said the group’s conclusion has no bearing on their own investigation.

The prosecutors said they have already served Cheng a summons requiring him to come for an interview this week.

The Justice Ministry, which requested the bar association to investigate Cheng, has expressed regret that the lawyer was cleared.

Chen has been denied visitors and any form of communication with the outside, except for his attorney.

Although the ruling and opposition camps have been bickering over the nature of the case against the ex-president, they have all agreed to punish corruption more severely.

The KMT legislative caucus has worked out a draft bill to increase the fines and lengthen the prison terms for convicted bribers.

DPP legislative whip Lai Ching-te said his caucus will support any move to clean politics of corruption.

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