BFF-31 Top Taiwan court revokes conviction of ex-leader Ma, orders retrial

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BFF-31

TAIWAN-POLITICS-JUSTICE-MA

Top Taiwan court revokes conviction of ex-leader Ma, orders retrial

TAIPEI, Jan 3, 2019 (BSS/AFP) – Taiwan’s top court Thursday ordered a new
trial of former president Ma Ying-jeou, revoking his conviction in a
political leaks case, one of a raft of lawsuits brought against him since he
stepped down in 2016.

Ma was sentenced to four months in prison last year by the high court for
violating the communication security and surveillance act, overturning a
previous not guilty verdict from a lower court.

Ma’s Beijing-friendly Kuomintang (KMT) party held power from 2008 to 2016,
before it was trounced by Tsai Ing-wen’s Democratic Progressive Party (DPP).

While still in office Ma was protected by political immunity.

But since he stepped down as leader in May 2016, the 68-year-old has been
hit with a string of corruption and other allegations.

Last year’s high court ruling was his first conviction, which Ma appealed.

“The original judgment did not state and clarify the essential facts about
whether Ma had committed the crime,” the supreme court said in its statement
revoking the original ruling and ordering a retrial.

The high court had found Ma guilty of breaching the personal data
protection act and of “using his presidential power not for executing
presidential legal duties”.

It said Ma had attempted to damage the “character and rights” of
opposition lawmaker Ker Chien-ming when he leaked confidential information
about an ongoing probe associated with Ker.

The probe revolved around information gained from surveillance on Ker
which implicated the then parliamentary speaker, a rival of Ma, in influence
peddling.

Investigators had been accused of tapping Ker’s phone to acquire the
information.

The leaks controversy sparked a political storm in 2013 and saw two top
officials resign, while thousands of protesters took to the streets to demand
Ma step down.

The DPP, then in opposition, compared the probe to the Watergate scandal
in the United States.

BSS/AFP/BZC/1800HRS