TAIPEI: A motion proposed by two Control Yuan members to impeach Taiwan's Prosecutor General Chen Tsung-ming failed to pass a review yesterday.

After some two hours of debate, half the Control Yuan members present at the review session voted "yes" to the impeachment motion proposed by Fuldien Lee and W.J. Chien Lin and another half voted "no."

Lee and Chien Lin proposed the impeachment based on charges that the Chief Prosecutor had violated the Civil Servant Service Act and regulations governing prosecutors.

The two Control Yuan members proposed that Chen Tsung-ming be impeached as Taiwan's top prosecutor on the grounds that Chen failed to do his duty by allowing medical professional Huang Fang-yen, a confidant of former "president" Chen Shui-bian, to flee to the United States. Authorities had sought Chen in connection with corruption and money laundering charges on which the "ex-first couple" were convicted and given life sentences.

Huang was said by prosecutors to have carried a huge amount of naked diamonds for Chen Shui-bian's wife Wu Shu-jen.

However, opponents to the impeachment motion argued that although Chen Tsung-ming's deeds were controversial, there was no evidence proving Chen's negligence of duties.

"It may not be proper to impeach the top prosecutor simply because of some allegations," the opponents said.

China Daily/CNA

(HK Edition 01/06/2010 page2)