Prosecutors seek detention of 4 KMT staffers over fake signatures

Taipei, April 18 (CNA) Taipei prosecutors have filed a motion to detain four staff members of the main opposition Kuomintang (KMT) over their alleged involvement in falsifying signatures in a campaign drive to recall Democratic Progressive Party (DPP) lawmakers in Taipei.

The four are KMT Taipei Chapter chief Huang Lu Ching-ju (黃呂錦茹), chapter secretary-general Chu Wen-ching (初文卿), chapter secretary Yao Fu-wen (姚富文), and first district committee executive director Tseng Fan-chuan (曾繁川).

They were all supporting a KMT-backed campaign to recall the DPP's Wu Szu-yao (吳思瑤) and Wu Pei-yi (吳沛憶), who represent Taipei's first and fifth electoral districts.

Prosecutors asked the Taipei District Court for permission to detain the four individuals and hold them incommunicado on suspicion of criminal forgery and violations of the Personal Data Protection Act, the Taipei District Prosecutors Office said.

Prosecutors argued that there was a risk the individuals could flee, or collude with others or destroy evidence.

According to the office, an investigation was launched after it received reports of falsified personal information on recall petitions targeting the two DPP lawmakers.

Prosecutors launched their investigation in Taipei Monday, summoning six people for questioning, including Lee Hsiao-liang (李孝亮) and Chang Ke-chin (張克晉), the two heads of the recall initiatives against Wu Szu-yao and Wu Pei-yi, respectively.

Several of them, including Lee, were subsequently released on NT$200,000 (US$6,135) to NT$500,000 bail, while Chang was let go after questioning without needing to pose bail.

After a thorough review of their statements, prosecutors on Thursday searched the KMT headquarters in Taipei as well as the offices and homes of Huang Lu, Chu, Yao and Tseng, and later brought them in for questioning.

"Democratic prison, judicial injustice," decried (朱立倫), who led several party members and supporters in protest outside the Taipei prosecutors' office building on Thursday after its party headquarters was searched.

Chanting the slogan, Chu called on people to stand up against authoritarianism, accusing President Lai Ching-te (賴清德) of manipulating the judiciary.

Meanwhile, he also announced that a rally will be held on April 26 on Ketagalan Boulevard in front the Presidential Office in a bid to denounce Lai.