TAIPEI (Taiwan News) — The TPP accused the Taipei District Prosecutors Office of misconduct on Wednesday.
Storm Media reported Tuesday that an individual who shared a hospital room with Core Pacific Group Chair Shen Ching-jing (沈慶京) revealed that Taipei District Prosecutor Lin Chun-yen (林俊言) visited Shen multiple times during his stay at a Taipei hospital.
The TDPO repeated a previous statement saying the Oct. 11, visit was an inspection, not an interrogation, and was conducted in the presence of three of Shen’s lawyers, per Storm Media. The TDPO added that after the first inspection, Lin deemed a second visit necessary, which took place on Oct. 14, with one of Shen’s lawyers present.
The TDPO added the second inspection aimed to clarify legal matters Shen wished to understand, rejecting claims that Lin threatened Shen by denying his company’s loan extension. The office also produced a document submitted to the Taipei District Court, detailing Lin’s three inspections between Oct. 11-18.
However, the TPP criticized Lin’s actions, alleging violations of the Code of Criminal Procedure and the Code of Prosecutorial Conduct, per CNA. The TPP argued that inspections under Article 106 of the COCP are intended to assess the condition of the defendant, not to conduct interrogations.
The party claimed Lin had breached due process by using inspections as interrogations and also cited a breach of Article 6 of the CPC, which requires prosecutors to stick to the rules and ensure proportionality when determining actions. The TPP also raised concerns about the TDPO’s audio and video records for the alleged two-hour Oct. 11 interrogation — along with a statement claiming Lin had remained silent during that inspection.
The TPP suggested the Oct. 14 visit was, in fact, an interrogation intended to coerce Shen. They called on the TDPO to release any records related to the second inspection, if they exist.
TPP Chair Huang Kuo-chang (黃國昌) criticized the TDPO’s inconsistent statements, particularly a discrepancy between its description of the Oct. 11 visit as an "interrogation" and the more recent characterization of the same event as an "inspection", per NowNews. Huang urged the TDPO to provide more details on the Oct. 14 visit.
In response, DPP Taipei City Councilor Chien Shu-pei (簡舒培) cast doubt on the credibility of Shen’s anonymous roommate, per BusinessToday. Chien also suggested that Huang’s defense of Shen was an attempt to help former Taipei City Mayor Ko Wen-je (柯文哲).
Shen has been accused of bribing Taipei City officials, including Ko, to secure a more favorable floor area ratio for his Core Pacific City development project. The investigation into the case led to Ko’s resignation as chair of the TPP.
