TPP chair facing legal issues over 'edited' voice recording

Taipei, June 20 (CNA) Taiwan People's Party (TPP) Chairman Huang Kuo-chang (黃國昌) has been listed as a potential suspect in an investigation over his alleged misuse of an audio recording at the Legislature, the Taipei District Prosecutors Office confirmed Friday.

On Monday, Huang questioned Justice Minister Cheng Ming-chien (鄭銘謙) during a hearing of the Legislature's Judiciary and Organic Laws and Statutes Committee on whether it was proper for prosecutors to threaten suspects during interrogations.

He first asked Cheng what crime would be committed if a person publicly played an audio recording of an interrogation, to which Cheng answered "an offense against the Personal Data Protection Act."

Huang then asked Cheng what if the recording contained audio evidence of legal authorities using a threatening tone or insulting language toward a suspect during an interrogation.

The justice minister then asked Huang to define the terms "threatening tone" and "insulting language," leading the TPP chair to play a recording of an interrogation of what sounded like a prosecutor interrogating a suspect using a harsh tone.

Prior to Huang actually playing the audio, Cheng warned the lawmaker against playing privileged investigative materials in an open hearing, a warning Huang ignored.

In the tape, a female voice could be heard questioning a man, addressed only as Mr. Chu (朱), in a harsh tone.

"They have never used clear language and they have never included you?" the female voice could be heard saying.

"Have they never included you or did they stop including you after 2018?" the voice went on to ask, to which the voice of Chu replied "2018."

"So that is not 'never!' Never is not even once," the voice scolded, to which Chu then subsequently apologized for using the wrong term.

"What are you saying, Mr. Chu?"

"Listen to yourself; are you worthy of the heart you once possessed?" the female voice said before the recording ended.

When Cheng criticized Huang for publicly playing confidential material, the TPP chair said that he never said the recording was from an interrogation, and that the tape was an "illustrative example" of a "threatening tone and insulting language."

The Taipei Prosecutors Office said Friday it received calls from members of the public reporting claims against Huang on suspicion of counterfeiting, without elaborating.

In response to getting reported, Huang on Friday told local media that having counterfeit claims filed against him was not his first brush with the legal system, and he encouraged prosecutors to launch a probe as soon as possible.

Huang said he was unafraid of the investigation and criticized the ruling Democratic Progressive Party (DPP) of overreach, saying he expected the ruling party to mobilize the media and authorities against him.

Beyond the counterfeiting claims made to the Taipei Prosecutors Office, DPP lawmakers on Friday also proposed a motion to subject Huang to the Legislature's Discipline Committee for his actions.

DPP legislators argued that Huang did not reveal the source of the audio heard on the tape nor how it was handled, and they questioned whether or not the material came into Huang's possession legally.

The motion was dismissed later in the day, however, after TPP and fellow opposition Kuomintang lawmakers, who have a majority in the 113-seat body voted against it.