Control Yuan Members, Face It Bravely! ~ Press Conference Protesting the Control Yuan's Failure to Impeach Huang Shih-ming

On September 16, our Foundation formally submitted a written petition to the Control Yuan, detailing specific grounds to investigate and hold accountable former Minister of Justice Tseng Yung-fu, Taiwan High Prosecutors Office Chief Prosecutor Chen Shou-huang, and handling prosecutor Lin Hsiu-tao, who were allegedly involved in lobbying, alongside Prosecutor-General Huang Shih-ming and Special Investigation Division handling prosecutor Cheng Shen-yuan, who allegedly abused their powers unlawfully.

Unexpectedly, regarding Control Yuan Members Wu Feng-shan and Hung Te-hsuan's proposal to impeach Huang Shih-ming, the Control Yuan voted it down last Thursday with a vote of "five to five." Our Foundation not only expresses deep regret over this outcome but also finds it completely unacceptable.

Our Foundation believes that Prosecutor-General Huang Shih-ming's abuse of power in wiretapping, unlawful leakage of secrets, and other unlawful and abusive acts documented in Case Te-Tzu No. 61 files are concrete and clear, and he has already been indicted by the Taipei District Prosecutor's Office, rendering him utterly unfit for the position of Prosecutor-General. His personal illegal abuse of power has not only sapped the morale of the entire prosecutorial system but also completely destroyed its public credibility, constituting a grave dereliction of duty. This involves the major issue of whether the entire prosecutorial system can continue to operate soundly. Control Yuan members should take prompt corrective action and impeach Huang Shih-ming, so as to avoid giving credence to external accusations that they succumbed to the pressure of potentially not receiving reappointment nominations when their terms expire next year.

Based on the aforementioned reasons, our Foundation has come to the Control Yuan today to solemnly put forward the following six major demands:

1. Investigating Members Wu Feng-shan and Hung Te-hsuan should resubmit the impeachment case against Huang Shih-ming for re-examination and decision.
2. We call upon Control Yuan members to remain loyal to their duties, uphold their conscience, resist the temptation of lures, and impeach Huang Shih-ming for the benefit of all citizens of the country.
3. Regarding other public officials involved in illegal dereliction of duty, the Control Yuan should also swiftly complete its investigations and initiate impeachments in accordance with the law.
4. We demand that President Wang Chien-chien maintain neutrality, exercise restraint in his statements, and refrain from making arbitrary public remarks to back individuals currently undergoing impeachment review, which undermines the impartiality and credibility of the Control Yuan; otherwise, he should resign from office.
5. Article 13, Paragraph 1 of the Organic Act of the Control Yuan, which states that "Control Yuan personnel shall not disclose information regarding an impeachment case to the outside before it is transferred to a disciplinary agency," has not been reviewed or amended for over twenty years. It should not be left to the Control Yuan to arbitrarily and expansively interpret it as a cover-up. If a case is already known to the general public and involves major public interests, the Control Yuan has the obligation to explain its reasons to the public when deciding not to impeach.
6. Should the Control Yuan stubbornly continue to use expansive interpretations, treating "everything is a secret" as a cover for "shielding arbitrary decisions," the Judicial Reform Foundation will initiate pushes to amend the Organic Act of the Control Yuan, forcing the Control Yuan's decisions to accept public oversight and be accountable to the people of our country.

Attendees

Ch'ü Hai-yüan, Chairperson, Judicial Reform Foundation
Lin Yung-sung, Attorney and Executive Board Member, Judicial Reform Foundation
Huang Kuo-ch'ang, Professor and Executive Committee Member, Judicial Reform Foundation
Kao Jung-chih, Attorney and Office Director, Judicial Reform Foundation

Press Contact

Attorney Kao Jung-chih 02-2523-1178