Prosecutors have indicted 10 people, including Tainan City Council Speaker Chiu Li-li and Deputy Speaker Lin Chih-chan, in the city council corruption case. The KMT is calling on DPP Chair William Lai to stay true to the ethical standards he displayed when he was Tainan mayor.
Reporter: “Mr. Vice President, will you ask Chiu Li-li to resign as council speaker?”
William Lai, Vice President: “Thank you.”
Vice President and DPP Chair William Lai does not respond to media questions on the Tainan City Council bribery scandal. Ten people have been indicted in the vote-buying case, including the speaker and deputy speaker of the council. On the 3rd, Tainan City councilors from the KMT called on Lai to uphold the high ethical standards he espoused when he was Tainan mayor and order Speaker Chiu Li-li and Deputy Speaker Lin Chih-chan to step down. The councilors also asked a court to invalidate the speaker and deputy speaker election results.
Tsai Tsung-hao, Tainan City Councilor (KMT): “Before Council Speaker Lee Chuan-chiao was indicted for corruption, you refused to step foot in the city council for 232 days. Let's see you uphold your high ethical standards now.”
Tsai Yu-hui, Tainan City Councilor (KMT): “There were more people and intimidation tactics and ruling party advantage. Our vice president has his sights set on the presidential election next. As party chair, shouldn't he address what's happened instead of dodging questions?”
Tainan City Mayor Huang Wei-che says all will be handled by the judicial system.
Huang Wei-che, Mayor, Tainan City: “There have already been indictments. The judicial system and courts will handle it from here. It would not be good for anyone to use this as an excuse to attack Tainan or besmirch Vice President Lai.”
The six defendants that have been in custody for two months, including former DPP Central Executive Committee member Kuo Tsai-chin were released on NT$500,000-3 million bail on the 2nd but confined to their homes.
Liu Hsiu-chun, Judge, Tainan District Court: “Although all six have proclaimed their innocence, the evidence and testimonies of other defendants and witnesses indicate otherwise. As all of them have homes, jobs and reputations in Taiwan, we do not believe they will try to flee and see no need to continue detaining them.”
Lai is widely regarded as the DPP's most likely presidential candidate in 2024, and he will eventually have to face the severe damage this case has caused to the DPP's reputation. Chiu, meanwhile, is calling on the court to hurry up and wrap up the case so that her good name can be restored as soon as possible.
記者提問道：「副總統會讓邱莉莉辭掉議長一職嗎？」
副總統賴清德答道：「謝謝。」
面對記者詢問，身兼民進黨主席的副總統賴清德微笑以對，不回應問題。台南市議會議長賄選案，檢方一次起訴包含正副議長在內等10人。
對此，台南市議會國民黨團日召開記者會，呼籲賴清德維持過去擔任台南市長時期的高道德標準，要求邱莉莉以及林志展辭去正副議長職位。同時前往法院按鈴申告，提出正副議長當選無效訴訟。
台南市國民黨籍議員蔡宗豪指出：「李全教議長賄選案，還沒有被起訴的時候，你就拒絕進入議會高達232天，你應該維持你的高道德標準。」
台南市國民黨籍議員蔡育輝表示：「人比較多，還恐嚇，還有執政優勢，我們賴副總統，未來要選總統的候選人，他身為黨主席，應該要針對這個事件，看能如何解釋。」
面對藍營砲火攻擊，台南市長黃偉哲表示，交由司法審理。
台南市長黃偉哲說道：「這個案件已經起訴了，那就交給司法，法院來審理，任何人想假借中間的過程去攻擊台南，攻擊賴副總統，我覺得都是不好的。」
檢方起訴後，被收押將近2個月的民進黨前中執委郭再欽等6名被告，2日深夜，法官裁定分別以300萬元到50萬元不等交保，6人都限制住居。
台南地方法院庭長劉秀君指出：「六名被告雖均否認犯行，惟有相關卷證資料及同案被告，證人之證詞可資佐證，足認犯罪嫌疑重大，又考量各該被告於國內均有固定之住居所，且均有正當工作及相當名望，應無逃亡之虞，認無羈押之必要。」
身兼黨主席的副總統賴清德，是2024年民進黨內最可能問鼎大位人選，隨著賄選案相關人士被起訴，外界也認為重創民進黨清廉勤政招牌。而台南市議長邱莉莉則發出聲明，呼籲法院速審速結，這樣才可以在最短時間內，透過司法途徑還給她清白。