Ex-president's office accuses prosecutors of abusing power
ROC Central News Agency
2010/10/06 20:11:58
Taipei, Oct. 6 (CNA) The office of former President Chen Shui-bian on Wednesday accused the Special Investigation Division (SID) under the Supreme Prosecutors Office of abusing judicial power by raiding Chen's office and seizing documents.
SID prosecutors seized 58 cartons of documents from Chen's office on Sept. 15 as part of an investigation into allegations that he took more than 20 boxes of classified files with him when he left the Presidential Office in May 2008.
The prosecutors, along with staff from the Chen Shui-bian Office and officials from the Presidential Office, opened some of the boxes Wednesday at the Taipei Detention Center, where the former president is held. Chen witnessed the opening process in person.
Chen Song-shan, director of the former president's office, said that the suspected embezzling of official documents would fall under a criminal code beyond the jurisdiction of the SID, which is only mandated to conduct investigations into possible corruption by government officials.
"The SID has abused its judicial power as it has no legal right to seize, search or open the documents, " Chen Song-shan said prior to entering the detention center to monitor the opening.
He cited the former president as saying the SID was politically motivated and wanted to divert public attention away from a string of scandals surrounding the Taipei Flora Expo. The Kuomintang-ruled Taipei City government has been accused of procuring materials for the expo at highly inflated prices, which Taipei Mayor Hau Lung-bin admits has dampened his popularity and clouded his bid for a second term.
Chen Song-shan quoted the former president as saying he is also interested in finding out what documents are in the boxes, as he did not take part in the packing of the cartons.
As for embezzling, he added, the former president said he had no intention or need to commit such crime.
The opening process of the seized documents, which began Wednesday, is expected to take 10 working days, according to SID Director Chen Hung-tah.
The Presidential Office said Sept. 10 that it had instructed Chen's office to return the documents and files after being notified of their existence by Chen's office.
The former president's aides, however, said that they were not in a position to do so and that they would hold onto the documents until Chen was released from detention.
The Presidential Office then filed a lawsuit with the SID alleging Chen' s office had violated the Embezzlement of Public Property Act.
The former president, who has been held since Dec. 30, 2008, has been sentenced to 20 years in prison for embezzling state funds, laundering money, accepting bribes and committing forgery.
(By Wang Hung-kuo and Deborah Kuo)
enditem/bc
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