Tsai criticizes impeachment of former government officials

The Control Yuan's impeachment, coming at this time, is “more or less political, and the highest government watchdog should show more caution in their follow-up moves,” said the DPP chairwoman.

The watchdog impeached the three ex-officials Friday

over the government's purchase of a plot of land that has now constituted one of the corruption cases for which former President Chen Shui-bian and his family are being tried.

The impeached are: former Cabinet Secretary General Liu Shih-fang; former National Science Council (NSC) Chairman Wei Che-ho; and Lee Chieh-mu, who managed Taiwan's science parks.

The Control Yuan said the watchdog did not probe Chen's role in the purchase, as an amendment to the constitution has stripped the watchdog body's authority to investigate presidents.

Former Premier Yu Shyi-kun, who headed the administration at the time of the purchase, said he would take political responsibility, according to Chou yang-shan, a Control Yuan member.

But Yu was not involved in the actual processing of the purchase and was unaware of the details, Chou added.

Lee has also been indicted for allegedly taking bribes in connection with the purchase of the land in Longtan, Taoyuan County for the expansion of a science park.

Liu and Wei were impeached because they failed to observe the regular procedures for processing the land purchase, the watchdog said.

The DPP chief said she had yet to study the impeachment in detail, but she did not believe there were major problems with procedures undertaken for the land purchase.

Tsai said judging from her own experience as vice premier, the Cabinet usually was very cautious handling such a major project, and the chances of major procedural problems occurring were slim.

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