Truth of the Sean Lien Shooting Incident Must Not Be Lost

Truth of the Sean Lien Shooting Incident Must Not Be Lost
China Times editorial (Taipei, Taiwan, ROC)
A Translation
December 9, 2010

Nearly half a month has passed since Sean Lien was shot. The shooter has been apprehended. The gun used has been taken into evidence. Yet scant progress has been made in the case. Speculation remains rampant. Conspiracy theories continue snowballing. Pan Greens accuse prosecutors and police of staging the incident in collusion with high-ranking government officials. Pan Blues suspect that prosecutors and police are attempting to close the books on the case by dismissing it as a case of manslaughter. Rumors have been floated that prosecutors and police have grievances with each other. The case remains unsolved, even as various parties continue spreading rumors. Sean Lien, the victim, and members of his family are extremely unhappy. Logically speaking, this should be an open and shut case, Yet it has turned into a three ring circus, The only term to describe it is "Outrageous!"

The Sean Lien shooting incident is nothing like the 3/19 shooting hoax. In the 3/19 shooting hoax, investigators wanted the public to believe the perpetrator was a dead man. Investigators uncovered the bullets but not the gun, making it impossible to match the bullets to the gun. In the Sean Lien shooting case on the other hand, the shooter was apprehended on the spot. The bullets were found. Everyone in attendance at the political rally, on the podium and in the audience, witnessed the shooting first hand. So why has the case dragged on for nearly half a month?

The suspect Lin Cheng-wei has family and friends. As he went about his daily life, he left a trail of clues. A record of the phone calls he made before the incident occurred is available. Whom did he call? What did he talk about? If Lin is to be believed, his target was Xinbei City city councilor Chen Hung-yuan. According to Lin, he and Chen Hung-yuan clashed over local political interests. If so, records will reveal the involvement of the disputants and intermediaries, including Chen himself. What possible excuse can there be for failure to uncover the truth? If Chen committed unlawful acts that provoked the shooting, prosecutors and police must get to the bottom of the matter. They must not pull their punches merely because Chen was elected mayor.

The gun Lin Cheng-wen used in the shooting was not cheap. This is the first time such a gun has been used by triads on Taiwan. Given Lin's background, did he have the wherewithal or means to afford such a firearm? If he do not, then who supplied him with it? Given the special nature of the gun used in the shooting, the allegation that Lin Cheng-wen and Chen Hung-yuan had some sort of personal grudge remains unpersuasive. Lin carried out his shooting execution style, at close range, during a political rally in a public venue. He surely knew he would be captured. If someone paid him a generous sum of money for the job, what good is it going to do him? If any money or property changed hands, someone close to him, either family or friends, would have to be the beneficiary. Is it really so difficut to inventory their cash flow?

The shooting occurred just before election day. Political repercussions are inevitable. But we cannot permit the incident to be politicized ad infinitum. Doing so would mask the truth of the case. The Green Camp has scoffed that the case cannot be broken because the conspiracy was poorly scripted. But who who in the Blue Camp would have the temerity to shoot the son of former Vice President and KMT Honorary Chairman Lien Chan, in order to Influence the election? Democratic Progressive Party Legislator Chiu Yi-ying even alleged that because of Sean Lien's privileged status, the Ma administration provided him with bodyguards. Chiu Yi-ying has been a legislator for many years. Is she truly unaware that in a homicide case, even when a shooting victim does not request special protection, police routinely provide the victim with protection until the case is officially closed. Must even a crime victim's personal safety be given Blue or Green political spin?

The Lien family is extremely unhappy with the widespread rumors about the case. Rumors have even emerged from within the Blue Camp. According to the rumor, immediately after the shooting, the presidential office and the legislative caucus cautioned party officials against making political hay out of the incident. According to the rumor, they deliberately attempted to downplay the political element. This rumor is baffling in its logic. Who in the Blue Camp would dare contemplate playing Russian Roulette with Sean Lien's life? When Taichung City Mayor Jason Hu heard the news, he immediately cancelled all political rallies. He didn't not wait for instructions from high officials in the presidential office or the legislative caucus. No normal person can possibly believe that Sean Lien would become a target for political reasons. Are we to believe that Lin had an ideological position regarding reunification vs. independence?

DPP officials have alleged that the Sean Lien shooting incident was "staged and enacted by Lien himself" with "expert guidance." Sean Lien is outraged by such allegations. He may appear in public to explain. He has also suggested that video tapes of the shooting be made public, allowing the truth to emerge. Prosecutors have refused to release the video tapes, claiming that this may lead to collusion among witnesses, and adversely affect the investigation. In fact the media was present on the night of the incident and during the following several days. The footage has already been made public. Everyone in the country has seen televised footage of the shooting. The shooting is a fact. It could not possibly have been faked. The important point is why Lin Cheng-wei targeted Sean Lien. Was it merely because Sean Lien was a public figure? Or do other hidden factors figure into the case?

The practice of "not making public the progress of an Investigation" is motivated by the desire to respect human rights. It is also a matter of Investigative technique. But what justification is there for not making public the progress of an investigation, giving spin doctors carte blanche to spread misleading rumors? A rumor has even been floated that local police learned of the attempt before the shooting took place. According to the rumor, they refrained from passing the information onto their superiors because they wanted to take credit for stopping the assassination attempt themselves. Such rumors defy common sense. Suppose they had advance knowledge yet failed to deploy more personnel? If they failed to prevent the shooting, they would be terminated summarily. What credit would there be for them to take?

The Sean Lien shooting incident occurred half a month ago. The wild speculation can all be refuted with the simple truth. But in the Blue vs. Green political arena, spin doctors using the least scientific, most underhanded methods can always sow unfounded suspicions in the public imagination. These suspicions are utterly at odds with common sense. The result is that even a straightforward criminal case can turn into a runaway political incident. Even if prosecutors and the police solve the case, believers will remain believers, and non-believers will continue their ranting and raving. The victims will be denied justice and truth. Worse still, public confidence in democracy and social order on Taiwan will never be rebuilt.

別讓槍擊案真相 埋沒在口水裡
2010-12-09 中國時報

快半個月了，逮到人、搜到槍的連勝文槍擊案，迄今案情進展有限，各方揣測、甚至陰謀論卻愈滾愈大。綠的懷疑檢警配合高層寫劇本；藍的懷疑檢警企圖以誤殺結案；檢警之間傳出辦案有心結；受害當事人連勝文及其家人對案子破不了，卻有各種案情放話更高度不滿。一樁理應沒這麼複雜的案子，卻辦到這個地步，只有「離譜」兩字可形容。

連勝文槍擊案與三一九兩顆子彈案完全不能相提並論。三一九偵辦時，被指為凶嫌者已經死亡，查到彈沒找到槍，槍彈比對直如瞎子摸象；連案卻是發生時即逮到人，槍彈俱在，造勢場上場下都是目擊證人，怎麼可能讓案情如墜五里霧長達半個月？

凶嫌林正偉有家人、有朋友，平常時刻的生活總有蛛絲馬跡，案發前的通聯紀錄通通都在，他打電話找誰？談了什麼？犯案動機如果確如他所言，是衝著新北市議員陳鴻源而來，陳鴻源的地方利益或恩怨，乃至經手或中介的任何案件，甚至陳個人財產通通有紀錄，哪有追不出來的道理？如果陳有任何案件可能涉及不法，因而引起此一槍案，檢警還是得嚴辦到底，不能因為陳當選議員而放手。

林正偉使用的凶槍價格不低，還是台灣黑道第一次出現的槍枝，以林的背景有能力和財力取得這樣的槍枝嗎？如果他沒有這個能力和財力，那麼是誰給他的？光是以槍枝來源的特殊性，林正偉與陳鴻源的私人恩怨就未必說得通；林嫌在公眾造勢場合，以行刑式地近距離行凶，幾乎是做好被逮的心理準備，如果他是受人所託幹一票大的，他有什麼好處？如果有任何金錢財物的交易，所有他身邊的家人、朋友，總該有一個交付對象，全面清查其收入流向，有這麼困難嗎？

此案在選舉投票前發生，政治效應勢必難免，但不能因此讓政治效應無限擴大，反而掩蔽了案情的真相。綠營譏評破不了案是劇本沒寫好，請問：哪個人有這個膽子拿前副總統、國民黨榮譽主席之子，做為影響選舉的槍擊案劇本的男主角？民進黨立委邱議瑩甚至指責，因為連勝文的特殊背景，馬政府竟准許連申請隨扈；當立委這麼多年，邱議瑩豈會不知道刑案當事人即使不申請，正式宣告破案前，警方都得提供人身保護？人身安全難道還有藍綠之別嗎？

因為連家人對此案各種放話揣測不斷非常不滿，藍營竟傳出高層心結說，懷疑府院從案發第一時間就要求黨公職不要以此為選舉操作，甚至刻意降低此案有政治因素的可能，這也是莫名其妙的說法。請問：有哪一個藍營的人在案發時，會可惡的想到用連勝文的生命安危做為選舉操作？台中市長胡志強聽聞消息，甚至立刻結束造勢活動，根本不待府院高層指示；從正常人的角度，也不會相信連勝文是因為政治因素成為箭靶，難不成林嫌還有統獨立場？

連勝文對民進黨人指此案「自導自演」、「高人指點」的說法耿耿於懷，不排除出面說清楚，也主張公布錄影帶，還原事發經過。檢方不肯公布錄影帶，認為可能會造成證人勾串，影響偵辦。事實上，案發時的錄影帶當晚以及後續幾天，因為媒體在場，早已公布。全國人都看到槍擊發生的一瞬間，這是造不了假的事實，重點在於：為什麼林正偉要以連勝文為目標？只因為連勝文來頭夠大嗎？還是背後另有隱情？

「偵查不公開」是基於人權，也基於偵辦技巧，哪能因為偵查不公開，反而放任誤導案情的訊息鋪天蓋地而來？甚至傳聞地方警局事前接獲情資，為搶功而不上報？這也是完全違反常識的說法，警方若有情資還不擴大部署、阻止不了案子發生，那得全面撤職查辦，有何功可搶？

連勝文槍擊案發生半個月，所有的揣測用最簡單的道理都能戳破。奇怪的是，政壇藍綠就能以最不科學、最具惡意的方式，無限擴大懷疑，無視這些懷疑都不合乎常識常理；照此發展，連案即使是單純的治安事件，都可能演變為不可收拾的政治事件。最後即使檢警破案，依舊信者恆信、不信者恆罵，既不能還給受害者一個公道和真相，更無助於重建民眾對台灣民主和社會秩序的信心。