NOT GIVING UP:The Democratic Progressive Party Central Executive Committee member says that he will not go to prison because of the vice president
By Chris Wang / Staff reporter
Democratic Progressive Party (DPP) Central Executive Committee member Hung Chi-kune (洪智坤) yesterday said that he would not stop his struggle against Vice President Wu Den-yih (吳敦義) even after being sentenced to three months in prison in a defamation lawsuit related to a bribery scandal in 2012.
The Taiwan High Court Kaohsiung Branch yesterday sentenced Hung to three months in prison, which could be commuted to a fine of NT$90,000, over Hung’s defamation of former China Steel Corp (CSC, 中鋼) chairman Tsou Juo-chi (鄒若齊) in his comments about the bribery scandal which involved Wu and former Executive Yuan secretary-general Lin Yi-shih (林益世).
Lin stands accused of accepting NT$63 million (US$2.1 million) in bribes from businessman Chen Chi-hsiang (陳啟祥) to help secure a contract from a CSC subsidiary.
Hung accused Wu. then serving as premier and President Ma Ying-jeou’s (馬英九) running mate — along with his wife, Tsai Ling-yi (蔡令怡) — of arranging a meeting between Tsou and Lin in July and August 2011 in Greater Kaohsiung to “make private deals” related to the scandal.
On Facebook yesterday, upon learning the verdict, Hung said it was interesting that he criticized Wu and yet was being sued by Tsou.
He wrote he “would not go to jail because of Wu,” adding that the judges in the first and second trials had completely ignored the evidence, witnesses and the testimonies provided.
“I will definitely keep fighting Wu Den-yih to prevent him from ‘making a run for the presidency,’” he wrote.
The High Court said that Hung was found guilty because he was aware that the meeting between the four took place in September, rather than in July or August. and that he knew the objective of the meeting was about the presidential election.