Reform campaigners blast reports on judicial scandal
By Jason Pan / Staff reporter
Judicial reform advocates and lawmakers yesterday criticized reports on alleged bribe-taking, abuse of authority, and other misconduct by judges and prosecutors in a corruption scandal involving business tycoon Weng Mao-chung (翁茂鍾) and former Supreme Court judge Shih Mu-chin (石木欽).
The Judicial Reform Foundation and New Power Party (NPP) legislators said that the reports presented on Wednesday by the Judicial Yuan and the Ministry of Justice about the scandal concealed information to shield high-ranking members of the judiciary.
Judicial Reform Foundation chairman Lin Yung-sung (林永頌), and NPP legislators Chiu Hsien-chih (邱顯智) and Chen Jiau-hua (陳椒華) told a news conference in Taipei that they were disappointed with the content of the reports into the results of a second-stage investigation into the scandal.
Judiciary vows toughness in Weng case
STATUTE OF LIMITATIONS: The Human Resource Review Committee said the alleged misdeeds of 25 judges suspected of corruption took place too long ago
By Jake Chung / Staff writer, with CNA
The investigation into the Weng Mao-chung (翁茂鍾) case would hold all judicial personnel involved accountable to the strictest interpretation of the law, Judicial Yuan President Hsu Tzong-li (許宗力) said yesterday, while pledging more action against misconduct to uphold the judiciary’s credibility.
Hsu pledged to investigate the few judges who might be contravening laws to protect the work of honest judges and uphold the dignity of the judiciary.
High Court instructed to retry 1997 forgery case
INNOCENT? Taiwan High Prosecutors’ Office spokesman Wu Yi-ming said that it is always the right time to do the right thing and restore justice to an innocent person
By Jason Pan / Staff reporter
The High Court was on Monday instructed to retry a 1997 lawsuit brought by business tycoon Weng Mao-chung (翁茂鍾) due to its bearing on the death of bank manager Chu Ching-en (諸慶恩) and the subsequent uncovering of the justice system’s biggest corruption scandal.
The Taiwan High Prosecutors’ Office said that new evidence had come to light, and that a review of the case uncovered possible flaws in the trial procedure and examples of undue influence, leading prosecutors to question whether Weng and Chu had received a fair trial.
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