Ker spars with 'enemy' in Legislature
TAIPEI, Taiwan -- Democratic Progressive Party (DPP) caucus whip Ker Chien-ming (柯建銘) and Prosecutor General Huang Shih-ming (黃世銘) engaged in a heated debate during an interpellation session yesterday.
Ker, being the first to question Huang, began his comments with the remark “we are enemies on a narrow path,” and moved on to question the prosecutor's authority. “Who are you to report (the wiretapped conversations) to the president, and which law allows such actions? Also, are the transcripts publicized by the SID intact?” demanded Ker. Huang affirmed that a section of the transcripts involving Ker's privacy was removed, but the conversations concerning evidence on influence peddling are complete.
“You're dead. I will see you in court!” was Ker's fiery response to Huang's statements, to which the latter simply replied, “How so?”
Ker then demanded to know the span of time Huang had been wiretapping his telephone conversations, to which Huang said from May 16 to Sept. 5. Ker said angrily that he had never received wiretap orders and reiterated his threat to bring the case to court.
Huang's Watershed Disclosures
During the interpellation session, Huang also revealed that he had paid President Ma Ying-jeou not one, but two visits to inform him of “the dirtiest case of influence peddling of all time,” involving Wang and Ker.
Huang admitted to visiting Ma on Aug. 31 during a press conference earlier this month, but did not say that he had been to the Presidential Office the next day as well. The Presidential Office has confirmed that Ma met Huang twice.
Huang's motive for a second visit is questionable, as he previously said that he disclosed all essential information during his first meeting with Ma, said an unnamed lawyer.
Ker likened the SID to the notorious East Factory (東廠), a group of secret agents active in the Ming Dynasty that was used by palace eunuchs to eradicate their political opponents. “Since Huang leaked information to the president, he should be jailed like former Ministry of Justice Investigation Bureau (MJIB) Director-General Yeh Sheng-mao (葉盛茂) was when he tipped off former president Chen Shui-bian (陳水扁) that the international anti-money laundering organization Egmont Group was conducting a probe,” Ker said.
Huang has accused Wang of lobbying on Ker's behalf to prevent an appeal in a lawsuit involving Ker, as well as former Justice Minister Tseng Yung-fu (曾勇夫), Taiwan High Prosecutors Office Chief Prosecutor Chen Shou-huang (陳守煌), and prosecutor Lin Hsiu-tao (林秀濤) .
After denying that he had wireapped conversations between Wang and Tseng, and between Chen and Lin, when he was interrogated by DPP Legislator Liao Cheng-ching (廖正井), Huang later admitted to wiretapping Lin's calls to DPP Legislator Yao Wen-chih (姚文智).
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