Justice Minister Chiu Tai-san has detailed the reasons behind the plan to disband the Special Investigation Division (SID).
The SID is a special unit under the Supreme Prosecutor’s Office. It was established in 2006 to inspect possible acts of corruption by senior government and military officials.
Chiu said Thursday that the SID has failed to perform its duties under current prosecution laws. He said its internal setup presents three major flaws: it lacks a monitoring mechanism on its own governing agency, the Supreme Prosecutor’s Office; it lacks a reconsideration process for trials that are denied or delayed; and it too frequently has relocated personnel from other departments for its own functions.
Chiu also said he hopes other prosecutors’ offices will be able to transfer professionals from other agencies to perform the SID’s intended role.
The minister said, "[I hope the future amendment of] the Court Organic Act will allow central and district prosecutors’ offices to transfer professionals from different departments when they undertake corruption inspections. [They could use the expertise of] accountants and auditors for financial inspections, and enlist the help of engineers for inspecting different projects."