Weapons of Mass Destruction (WMD)

NO PROOF TO SHOW PRESIDENT SET UP ELECTION-EVE SHOOTING: COURT

Central News Agency

2005-06-17 22:35:24

    Taipei, June 17 (CNA) Defeated presidential candidate Lien Chan and his running mate James Soong have provided insufficient evidence to back their claim that President Chen Shui-bian and Vice President Annette Lu set up last year's election-eve shooting of themselves, the Supreme Court ruled Friday.

    Chen and Lu staging the shooting to give them an advantage in the March 20 election was claimed by Lien and Soong as one of the reasons that their re-election should be nullified. The case was rejected by the Supreme Court.

    According to the verdict, the Taiwan High Court has determined that a wound to Chen's abdomen was caused by a gun.

    However, as the shooter and weapon have not been found, it remains unknown as to how the president was shot, if one or two shooters were involved, if one gun or two guns were used, or from what angle and distance the shots were fired. Therefore, it is difficult to judge if the wound suffered by Chen was caused by a set-up shooting.

    The Supreme Court said a stunt conducted by opposition Kuomintang Legislator Shuai Hua-min lacked credibility because his so-called "test" used a pig in a static state as a target, which was different from the situation in which Chen was shot -- he was standing in a moving jeep and the weapon used in the test was not similar to the type used in Chen's shooting.

(By Y.F. Low)

ENDITEM/J