ma use the prosecutors to control people

Taipei Times - archives: "Investigations by prosecutors in Taiwan are a bit like moving water in a bucket riddled with holes — you can count on leaks. Once a criminal investigation is under way, the details soon find their way into the papers and onto TV. Some media outlets and TV pundits then “improve” on the reports. Even if a suspect is later exonerated, it is hard to shake off the “sentence” passed in a trial by media. This essentially undermines the right to a fair trial and should be a concern regardless of whether the suspect is former president Chen Shui-bian (陳水扁) or a baseball player suspected of match-fixing.

The players investigated and interrogated in the latest baseball scandal have made headlines at every media outlet. Some of Taiwan’s best-known players have been investigated — most notably, former Los Angeles Dodgers pitcher Tsao Chin-hui (曹錦輝). Tsao admits to having dinner with a bookmaker on four occasions, but denies agreeing to do anything unlawful."