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TAIPEI: Taiwanese media on Wednesday urged the public to respect the legal system and let justice take its course following the detention of former president Chen Shui-bian on corruption charges.
Chen, implicated in several scandals during his eight years in power, was arrested Tuesday and accused of money laundering, embezzling government funds, taking bribes and forging documents.
The pro-independence Chen, who became the first former Taiwanese president to be taken into custody, has branded the legal moves against him as a "political witch hunt."
He has accused the China-friendly Kuomintang (KMT) government of persecuting him under pressure from Beijing, which considers the island part of its territory to be retaken, by force if necessary.
Taiwanese newspapers, however, were sceptical of Chen's claims.
"No matter how Chen protests the political persecution against him and how the opposing political parties trade barbs... We should let justice talk now and respect the independent space of the judicial system," said the local China Times.
"Chen's moves aimed at portraying himself to the world as a political prisoner instead of an embezzler accused of corruption... but he insults Taiwan's democratic rule of law and undermines the people's wisdom," the paper said in an editorial.
The English-language China Post voiced similar sentiments.
"All Chen wanted was to appear like a political martyr. He called himself a political prisoner, conveniently forgetting he is facing trial for corruption and money laundering," the paper said.
"Of course everybody is innocent until after he is proven guilty. But inasmuch as the prosecutors are concerned, there is more than enough concrete evidence to convict the former president."
Meanwhile the pro-independence Liberty Times cast doubt over the necessity to detain the ex-leader and warned that such a move could hurt the judicial system.
"If prosecutors have enough evidence to prove Chen's alleged crimes, why don't they just close the probe and indict him so the case can go into trial," the paper said in an editorial.
"Instead they detain the suspects one by one to make up for the lack of evidence, which gives room for doubt over forced confessions. Such a rough prosecution... would hurt the image of the judicial system."
The former leader, who retired in May, is accused of embezzling NT$14.8 million (US$480,500) from the government while he was president.
Chen, his wife, son, daughter-in-law, and brother-in-law have all been named as defendants in a separate money laundering case.
- AFP/yb
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