The cigarette smuggling scandal involving President Tsai Ing-wen's security personnel continues to snowball. The Kuomintang caucus is pointing out that the presidential security office and the vehicles used to smuggle the cigarettes are under the direct jurisdiction of the Presidential Office and demanding to know why Presidential Office Secretary-General Chen Chu is hiding from the media, letting President Tsai Ing-wen take the bullet instead, and they also want to know what is being hidden in between. Pan-blue legislators paid a visit to Prosecutor-General Chiang Hui-min and asked him to be accountable to the nation's people. In response, the Taipei District Prosecutors Office announced for the first time that it wants the detained Chang Heng-chia to clarify the identities, motives and methods of the government employees on the order list.


Kuomintang lawmakers pay Prosecutor-General Chiang Hui-min a visit at the Supreme District Prosecutors Office. The lawmakers pointed out the presidential security office and vehicles used to smuggle the cigarettes are both under the direct jurisdiction of the Presidential Office and questioned why Presidential Office Secretary-General Chen Chu has been hiding from the media and making President Tsai Ing-wen take the bullet for her. The group called for a full investigation.

We hope he conducts a full, unrestricted investigation and will start collecting all the available evidence as soon as possible.

Madam President, you are under public scrutiny. For the sake of your own political career, don't you have to face the people? Don't you owe them an explanation?

Taipei District Prosecutors Office Chief Prosecutor Shing Tai-chao and Deputy Chief Prosecutor Chen Chia-hsiu updated Chiang on the investigation earlier in the day. Chiang says he ordered a fair and speedy investigation.

…a speedy investigation. (Shing Tai-chao) also said he would try to make the case and the closing of the case as transparent as he can so that the public can see that our Taipei District Prosecutors Office handled the case this way.

Prosecutors questioned Wu Tsung-hsien on the 26th and Chang Heng-chia on the 29th to clarify the identities, criminal motivations and methods of the government employees that placed orders for smuggled cigarettes.

This week, the prosecutors office may summon more people for questioning and search more places. In general, we don't have a default position in this case. We will follow any evidence we get.

In the meantime, a civic group is accusing China Airlines Chair Hsieh Shih-chien, Senior Vice President Luo Ya-mei and Inflight Supply Chain and Marketing Vice President Chiu Chang-hsin of malfeasance and violating the Tobacco and Alcohol Administration Act. Prosecutors may summon the three for questioning at a later date.



大聲喊著口號，國民黨立委到最高檢，拜會檢察總長江惠民，藍委質疑，涉案的總統府侍衛室和走私車輛，都由總統府管轄，可是總統府秘書長陳菊，卻一直神隱，由總統蔡英文出面擋子彈，質疑其中有隱情，要求檢調一定要查辦到底。

國民黨立委 曾銘宗表示：「希望他全力查辦，不可以設定上限，趕快扣押相關的事證。」

國民黨立委 吳志揚表示：「總統，你面對大家的質疑，你不需要為了你自己政治的生命，去向全國人民說清楚嗎？」

而在藍委拜會江惠民前，北檢檢察長邢泰釗和襄閱主任檢察官陳佳秀，則早一步向江惠民報告私菸案的最新偵辦進度．江惠民也指示立場公正、迅速偵辦等原則。

檢察總長 江惠民表示：「盡速偵辦，那他(邢泰釗)也是說，將來這個案子，結案的時候呢，他會盡量呈現給，透明化，讓外界可以看到說，我們北檢就是怎麼來辦這個案。」

此外，檢方上週26號，首度提訊吳宗憲後，上午也首度提訊張恒嘉，釐清下單的人員、身分，以及犯案動機及方式。檢調本週也不排除進行另一波約談及搜索。

北檢襄閱主任檢察官 陳佳秀表示：「基本上，我們偵辦此案，並沒有預設任何的立場，我們掌握到什麼樣的證據，我們就會辦到哪裡。」

私菸案爆發後，包括華航董事長謝世謙、資深副總經理羅雅美，以及空品部副總邱彰信等3人，被公民團體成員告發瀆職，以及違反菸酒管理法，檢方目前以他字案偵辦，不排除傳喚3人到案，釐清疑點。