Yu Chang row is campaign mudslinging: DPP

 After the Legislative Yuan's public hearing yesterday on allegations relating to Yu Chang Biologics Co., the Democratic Progressive Party demanded Christina Liu, minister of the Council for Economic Planning and Development (CEPD), make a public apology within a given time or the party would take legal action against Liu. DPP presidential candidate Tsai Ing-wen accused the ruling Kuomintang (KMT) of abusing governmental power in pursuit of her political assassination. DPP Caucus Executive Officer Tsai Huang-liang (蔡煌瑯) said that the investigation is nothing more than a KMT-campaign witch hunting. Tsai Huang-liang said he believes the declassification of documents shown during the public hearing has made the innocence of Tsai Ing-wen clear, while commenting on some the minor due process errors on the case. He said the two previously classified documents did not serve the KMT's purpose as the last straw that would break Tsai Ing-wen's back in the presidential race. It did, however, presume justice for her. DPP Legislator Huang Wei-cher (黃偉哲) said the key point involving the Yu Chang allegations lies in whether the document procedures violated any related regulations, and whether the DDP chairwoman violated the "Revolving Door Clause." He urged the KMT to apologize if they fail to provide any evidence that would prove Tsai Ing-wen's guilt. If not, Huang said the voters will punish the KMT for their mud-slinging campaign strategy. Ho Mei-yueh (何美玥), chairwoman of the CEPD under the then-DPP administration, said during the DPP press conference that Yu Chang investment was led by the advice of a group of renowned scientists, and denied any illegal activity involving the DPP's presidential candidate Tsai. Accompanying Ho, DPP spokesman Chen Chi-mai (陳其邁) pointed to government documents declassified on Monday which he said show Chiarwoman Tsai is innocent of any irregularities in endorsing government investment in a biotech joint venture in 2007. The two documents proved that the KMT is running a smear campaign against the DPP's presidential candidate. Academia Sinica President Wong Chi-huey (翁啟惠), who is involved in Yu Chang's investments, said he has been bothered by the media coverage of the case, with some media coverage not having been completely fair. Wong said that Tsai Ing-wen was invited by Yu Chang's management to chair the company and accepted the position with the hope of doing her best for Taiwan's biotechnology development. He urges the media to perform due diligence in fact checking.