Chiu Yi, Some Pre-election Grandstanding or Will He Carry Through

Saturday May 28, by Jerome F. Keating Ph.D.

Chiu Yi normally serves as the KMT attack dog, who because of his position in the Legislative Yuan (LY) has a certain immunity for the wild accusations and slurs that he often fills the air with. (Note also that he is not an elected member of the LY but has a party appointed legislator at large position). But Chiu Yi was in the news recently for filing a law suit against former defense minister Chen Chao-min.

Chen Chao-min is under the gun because he was minister of defense when an air force private (Chiang Kuo-ching) was wrongfully executed for the rape-murder of...ear old girl some 15 years ago. Chen was commended for solving the case and 8 other officers got raises etc. for their work in it.

Now it has turned out that Chiang's confession was achieved by torture casting all sorts of suspicion and doubts on the commendations and rewards of Chen and his officers. They however cannot be indicted because the statute of limitations has run out.

Chiu Yi is suing that a different set of codes should be followed that extends the statute of limitations. Is he for real, or is this just pre-election grandstanding for the KMT since they are caught between a rock and a hard place. It is an election year, and all of this had taken place when the KMT controlled the presidency and the LY leaving them little place to hide.

What should be noted. Remember how the KMT made a grand stand play in the December elections when gangsters shot Lien Chan's son (Sean) in the cheek just before elections. Somehow the KMT media managed to twist that into saying that this gangster revenge (?) scenario was not their fault and that somehow they were not the ones in bed with the gangsters. Now over a half year later, nothing seems to be happening even though the police have the weapon, the shooter, the wounded KMT person, a dead body, video tapes etc.; it seems that no more political mileage can come of it and they don't want to face the reality of the questions that it raises--which KMT person was in bed with the gangsters?

So with Chiu Yi's lawsuit. is it for show, but then will it be allowed to die a quiet death after the elections? Follow this one. Chiu Yi is not one to bite the hand that feeds him. Will the law suit even get passed the filing stage?