Commentary - Corruption Pays, Treasury Foots the Bill
pine Webmaster of Pineapple
2012/05/01 03:50
508 topics published
China Times 2012-05-01
Justice should be like the chastity of a queen, leaving no room for doubt. However, in the eyes of Taiwanese people, the judicial system is often described as "harsh sentencing in the first trial, halved in the second, and a celebratory feast in the third." If you have money, you live; if you don’t, you die.
The image of the judiciary has practically become that of a "streetwalker." Just look at a case from yesterday, and the legal community will understand why Taiwan’s judicial chastity has fallen from "goddess" to "prostitute."
There was a judge named Xu Congyuan who was accused of corruption 16 years ago and even faced detention. The subsequent trial resembled a ping-pong match, dragging on until it reached "deuce." When convicted, Xu appealed; when acquitted, the prosecutor appealed. And so, this endless "game" continued for 16 years.
Such a trial process alone is enough to completely erode public trust in the judiciary. But the joke didn’t stop there—it wasn’t entertaining enough for the public. After 16 years of judicial ping-pong, the prosecutor "momentarily lost focus" and missed the appeal deadline. The judge then ruled the case closed, citing the expired appeal, and Xu was acquitted.
Most people, if lucky enough to encounter a prosecutor’s "blunder," would simply celebrate with a feast, thanking the gods and counting their blessings. But Xu Congyuan, being a former judge and no ordinary person, finished his celebratory meal and promptly applied for criminal compensation. The Judicial Yuan responded with "humor," stating that his frequent visits to nightclubs with associates during his tenure as a judge exceeded societal tolerance. His detention in the corruption case was, to some extent, self-inflicted. They then discounted the compensation, granting him NT$2,000 per day.
When prosecutors investigate judicial corruption, how could they dare to be careless? For a judge to approve the detention of another judge is anything but ordinary. Yet, even such a corruption case ended with a "missed appeal," and taxpayers still had to foot the bill. No wonder people spit on the judiciary.
Source:
http:/ / news. chinatimes. com/ f……1051402/ 112012050100449. html