Kaohsiung mayor Chen questioned over blasts高雄市長陳質疑過爆炸

By Katherine Wei ,The China Post
September 26, 2014, 12:00 am TWN

The multiple explosions occurred in late July, ripping apart several blocks in downtown Kaohsiung due to severe petrochemical leaks, claiming 31 lives. Shortly after the blasts, Kuomintang (KMT) Kaohsiung City Councilor Hsu Kun-yuan (許崑源) reported Chen and her officials to the KDPO, pressing misconduct charges for violating Article 130 of the Criminal Code, which states that a public official who neglects his duties, thereby causing a catastrophe, shall be sentenced to imprisonment for not less than three years but not more than 10 years.
The KDPO entrusted the probe over the explosions to a special prosecution team, and Chen was by far the highest ranking government officer summoned during the investigation.Surrounded by groups of shouting supporters before they entered the KDPO, Chen, Deputy Mayor Liu Shih-fang (劉世芳), Kaohsiung City Environmental Protection Bureau Director Chen Chin-der (陳金德) and Labor Affairs Bureau Director Chung Kung-chao (鍾孔炤) yesterday participated in an interview session in order to determine whether they were guilty of malversation. They were all let go without bail after two hours of questioning.

TAIPEI, Taiwan -- Kaohsiung Mayor Chen Chu (陳菊) yesterday headed to the Kaohsiung District Prosecutors Office (KDPO) as a defendant to be questioned over her part in the multiple gas explosions that tore up several streets in the southern city.

Last Friday, the KDPO decided to summon Chen so that she could explain her involvement in the case.

Previously, Chen and the Kaohsiung government had stated that there was no registered information regarding the LCY Chemical Corp. (LCY, 李長榮化學工業) pipelines that ultimately caused the explosions, but the mayor was seen bowing in apology after the local China Times publicized a government document pointing out that while inspecting the locations for the city's light rail system project, Kaohsiung's Mass Rapid Transit Bureau (MRTB) had in fact already discovered the problems with the LCY pipelines.

“After gaining further understanding, (we) discovered that our team made serious mistakes when it came to horizontal communication ... but (we) did not lie,” said the mayor in an interview after her apology.

Expecting Authorities to Handle This Fairly: Chen

The Kaohsiung police were seen struggling with Chen's many supporters and some protesters in front of the KDPO.

Through the Kaohsiung City Government, Chen stated that she would be facing the prosecution's deliberations with a positive attitude and will not shy away from responsibility.

“The city government respects the law, and expects the judiciary authorities to handle this fairly.”

高雄市長陳質疑過爆炸

由凱瑟琳煒中國郵政
2014年9月26日，上午12:00 TWN

台北，台灣 - 高雄市長陳菊（陳菊）昨天前往高雄地檢署（KDPO）作為被告被質疑過她在多種氣體爆炸的撕碎了幾條街道在南部城市的一部分。

喊口號的支持者，他們進入了KDPO，陳副市長劉士芳（劉世芳），高雄市環保局局長陳金DER（陳金德）和勞工事務局局長仲恭超（鐘孔前組包圍炤）昨天參加了一個面試環節，以確定他們是否犯瀆職的。他們都讓兩人小時的訊問後，去不得保釋。

該KDPO委託探頭在爆炸到一個特殊的檢察隊伍，陳是迄今為止最高級別的政府官員在調查過程中傳喚。

多起爆炸發生在七月下旬，翻錄由於嚴重的石油洩漏相隔幾個街區在高雄鬧，聲稱31生命。爆炸發生後不久，國民黨高雄市議員許坤元（許昆源）報告陳和她的官員的KDPO，按不當行為指控違反刑法第130條，其中規定，公職人員誰玩忽職守，從而引起一場大災難，應判處監禁不少於三年，但不超過10年。

上週五，KDPO決定傳喚陳水扁，讓她可以解釋她的情況下參與。

此前，陳高雄政府已經表示，有關於李長榮化工公司沒有註冊的信息（李長榮，李長榮化學工業）等的管道，最終導致了爆炸，但市長被視為鞠躬道歉後，當地中國時報公佈一份政府文件指出，在檢查全市的輕軌系統項目的位置，高雄捷運局（熱感應雙筒望遠鏡）曾在實際上已經發現的問題與李長榮管道。

“獲得進一步的了解後，（我們）發現，我們的團隊犯了嚴重錯誤的時候遇到橫向溝通......但是（我們）沒有說謊，說：”在她道歉後接受採訪市長。

希望當局公平處理這：陳

高雄警察看到了陳的許多支持者和KDPO前一些抗議者掙扎。