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Ex-KMT legislator Diane Lee receives
two-year sentence
By Shelley Huang
STAFF REPORTER
Friday, Feb 05, 2010, Page 1
Taipei District Court judges yesterday found former Chinese Nationalist Party (KMT)
legislator Diane Lee (李慶安) guilty of fraud and forgery over her possession of
dual citizenship and sentenced her to two years in prison.
Lee was convicted of four counts of fraud in connection to her US citizenship.
An original four-year sentence was commuted to two years.
Public officials are not allowed to hold dual citizenship. Lee has claimed she
mistakenly believed that her US citizenship would automatically become invalid
upon taking up a public position.
The judges dismissed the explanation, saying that if Lee had been unclear on the
rules, she would not have called on former Taipei deputy mayor Chen Shih-meng
(陳師孟) to step down in 1994 when she questioned his status on the same issue.
Lee did not appear in court to hear the judgment, but issued a statement
declaring her innocence and saying the salary she earned during her terms as
legislator and Taipei City councilor were not illegal. Lee said she would
appeal.
In January last year, the Taipei District Prosecutors’ Office received
confirmation from the US State Department that Lee’s US citizenship remained
valid.
Prosecutors said that on personnel forms she filled out as a Taipei City
councilor in 1994 and during her three terms as a lawmaker starting in 1998, Lee
deliberately left blank the field asking whether she held citizenship from any
country other than the Republic of China.
Prosecutors say that the more than NT$100 million (US$3 million) in income Lee
earned during her terms as councilor and lawmaker were gained illegally.
Deputy Minister of the Interior Chien Tai-lang (簡太郎) yesterday said
investigating the salary that Lee received as a city councilor was a matter for
the Taipei City Council and the ministry. The criminal court proceedings against
Lee are separate from any civil action concerning her salary.
Legislative Yuan Secretary-General Lin Hsi-shan (林錫山) said Lee was entitled to
appeal and therefore the legislature shouldn’t take action on her salary as a
legislator before a final judgment. Once it is final, they may pursue the
matter, Lin said.
Lee resigned from the KMT in December 2008 and gave up her legislative seat last
year.
Asked for comment yesterday, KMT caucus chief deputy secretary-general Lin
Tsang-min (林滄敏) said Lee had shown some “negligence” during her time serving the
public.
Lin said Lee should accept the ruling and the judgment should serve as a warning
to all government officials reminding them to respect the law.
The Democratic Progressive Party (DPP) said the judgment showed that the KMT had
been lying for Lee all along.
“I don’t want to kick a horse when it’s down, but the judgment shows that the
DPP was right in accusing Lee of having dual citizenship. The KMT is obliged to
apologize and explain why it helped Lee conceal the truth,” DPP Legislator Pan
Meng-an (潘孟安) said.
DPP Legislator Chen Ting-fei (陳亭妃) called the judgment “delayed justice” and
said the KMT should apologize for dragging out the case.
Additional reporting by Flora Wang,
Jenny W. Hsu and Staff Writer
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