Taiwan News
Date: 2015-12-18
By: Matthew Strong, Taiwan News, Staff Writer
TAIPEI (Taiwan News) – Talk show host Clara Chou was indicted for
Talk show host charged with defamation. Central News Agency
aggravated defamation Friday over her allegations that President Ma Ying-jeou accepted NT$200 million (US$6 million) from controversial food producer Ting Hsin International.
Ting Hsin is the company at the center of numerous accusations concerning the adulteration of cooking oil with ingredients unfit for human consumption. Chou herself has been no stranger to controversy, already facing legal action over her allegations of illegal political donations by one of the country’s top tycoons.
At the conclusion of its investigation, the Taipei District Prosecutors’ Office judged that her accusations against senior figures such as Ma and Ting Hsin were unfounded and not based on any evidence, so it decided to file charges against her Friday.
Last December, Chou used talk shows and websites to make various comments about Ting Hsin, saying former presidential secretary-general Lo Chih-chiang had dubious relations with the company, while financier Benny Hu was close to both the corporation and to the president. Several of the people she mentioned filed legal action against her, resulting in Friday’s indictments. [FULL STORY]
