TAIPEI: The Judicial Yuan confirmed yesterday that a judge at the Hualien branch of the Taiwan High Court has been suspended after he met privately with a high-profile defendant in a case under his jurisdiction.

Hsieh Wen-ting, secretary-general of the Judicial Yuan, said Judge Lin Teh-sheng has been referred to the Control Yuan for possible impeachment.

Hsieh said the Anti-Corruption Department of the Judicial Yuan had asked the "Ministry of Justice" since last year to investigate Lin, based on concerns over his alleged wheeling and dealing with a wide variety of people.

According to Hsieh, the "Ministry of Justice" found that in June 2009, while Lin was presiding over a case against former Taitung Magistrate Wu Chun-li, the two men met at Wu's cottage.

During the internal investigation, Lin admitted that he had met with the defendant, but said that it was at a social gathering of friends and that he had no idea that Wu would be there, Hsieh said.

Hsieh refused to comment on reports that Lin was also associating closely with a young woman and visiting her apartment regularly during the daytime. That allegation, which can invoke criminal charges, is under investigation by law enforcement agencies, he added.

Under the Constitution, Lin could be disbarred only if the Control Yuan recommends his impeachment and it is approved by the Commission on the Disciplinary Sanctions of Functionaries.

Wu, who had served as a councilor in Taitung County since 1999, was elected Taitung Magistrate in 2005 but was barred from taking office because of his involvement, along with other 40 incumbent and former councilors, in a corruption case.

Wu divorced his wife Kuang Li-chen and helped her win the seat in a by-election that was held in 2006 to fill the vacancy.

In 2002, Wu was sentenced to 16 years in jail by the Taitung District Court on corruption charges, but in the appeal case the sentence was commuted to seven years and eight months by the Hualien branch of the Taiwan High Court.

However, the Supreme Court, at the request of the defendants, remitted the case twice to the Taiwan High Court's Hualien branch for retrial, and the branch court has so far handed down judgment on all of the defendants, except for Wu.

The Hualien branch court decided instead to reopen the verbal arguments in Wu's case.

China Daily/CNA

(HK Edition 01/12/2010 page2)