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Thursday, 5 March 2009
Backers threaten to free Chen
Supporters of former Taiwanese president Chen Shui-bian yesterday threatened to break into a detention centre to free the ex-leader, who is being held on corruption charges.
Supporters of former Taiwanese president Chen Shui-bian yesterday threatened to break into a detention centre to free the ex-leader, who is being held on corruption charges.
“The ex-president has been detained for 60-odd days, and you still do not set him free. Does that mean there are no more Taiwanese people?” said Tsai Chi-fang, a former lawmaker of the pro-independence Democratic Progressive Party and a staunch supporter of Chen.
“If in 15 days Chen Shui-bian is not freed, we will mobilise all Taiwanese people who love democracy and human rights to go to the Taipei Detention Centre to liberate the ex-president.”
Chen was brought to a pretrial hearing, during which he said the Taipei District Court was being unjust for ordering him detained.
DPP spokesman Cheng Wen-tsan demanded that judicial authorities release Chen immediately, saying the reasons the court gave to detain him were “too far-fetched”.
Chen’s office said it would appeal to the international community in a news conference.
On Tuesday, Taipei District Court rejected a plea by Chen for his release and extended his detention two more months on the grounds that he could flee and disrupt judicial proceedings against him.
Yesterday Chen questioned Judge Tsai Shou-hsun over the decision to detain him until May 25.
“Which law can the Taipei Detention Centre use to ban defendants from publishing books?” he asked. “When the Financial Times reporter came to see me at the detention centre, I had no idea he was a reporter. All we did was chat, and I had no idea our chats would become a news report.”
Chen said the reasons the court gave to continue to hold him “seriously violated human rights”.
A court source had said Chen’s publication of a book, The Cross of Taiwan, and interview with foreign media while being detained made the court believe he would continue to criticise judicial authorities if released.
Chen sternly denied yesterday that he accepted NT$400 million (HK$88.5 million) in a land deal as prosecutors charge. He questioned the credibility of the prosecutors in using testimony from a former banker, Jeffrey Koo Jnr, in charging him with taking bribes.
“Koo should be listed as a suspect rather than a witness, as I suspect he had a part in accepting part of the so-called bribe,” he told Judge Tsai.
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Backers threaten to free Chen
Lawrence Chung in Taipei
5 March 2009
Supporters of former Taiwanese president Chen Shui-bian yesterday threatened to break into a detention centre to free the ex-leader, who is being held on corruption charges.
“The ex-president has been detained for 60-odd days, and you still do not set him free. Does that mean there are no more Taiwanese people?” said Tsai Chi-fang, a former lawmaker of the pro-independence Democratic Progressive Party and a staunch supporter of Chen.
“If in 15 days Chen Shui-bian is not freed, we will mobilise all Taiwanese people who love democracy and human rights to go to the Taipei Detention Centre to liberate the ex-president.”
Chen was brought to a pretrial hearing, during which he said the Taipei District Court was being unjust for ordering him detained.
DPP spokesman Cheng Wen-tsan demanded that judicial authorities release Chen immediately, saying the reasons the court gave to detain him were “too far-fetched”.
Chen’s office said it would appeal to the international community in a news conference.
On Tuesday, Taipei District Court rejected a plea by Chen for his release and extended his detention two more months on the grounds that he could flee and disrupt judicial proceedings against him.
Yesterday Chen questioned Judge Tsai Shou-hsun over the decision to detain him until May 25.
“Which law can the Taipei Detention Centre use to ban defendants from publishing books?” he asked. “When the Financial Times reporter came to see me at the detention centre, I had no idea he was a reporter. All we did was chat, and I had no idea our chats would become a news report.”
Chen said the reasons the court gave to continue to hold him “seriously violated human rights”.
A court source had said Chen’s publication of a book, The Cross of Taiwan, and interview with foreign media while being detained made the court believe he would continue to criticise judicial authorities if released.
Chen sternly denied yesterday that he accepted NT$400 million (HK$88.5 million) in a land deal as prosecutors charge. He questioned the credibility of the prosecutors in using testimony from a former banker, Jeffrey Koo Jnr, in charging him with taking bribes.
“Koo should be listed as a suspect rather than a witness, as I suspect he had a part in accepting part of the so-called bribe,” he told Judge Tsai.
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