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Presidential Office attacker set free on bail for 5th time
Central News Agency
2014-02-02 11:20 PM
Central News Agency (2014-02-02 21:04:30)
Taipei, Feb. 2 (CNA) A man who smashed his heavy gravel truck into the Presidential Office on Jan. 25 was released on bail for the fifth time by the Taipei District Court Sunday.
In the latest move in the tug-of-war between prosecutors and the suspect's lawyers, Chang Teh-cheng was allowed to go free by the court on NT$300,000 (US$10,000) bail but was banned from leaving the country.
Prosecutors immediately appealed against the ruling to release Chang.
The lower court upheld the ruling even after the Taiwan High Court asked it for the fourth time earlier in the day to reconsider its previous decision to release the truck driver on bail rather than ordering him detained, as precedent would have suggested.
In its four previous rulings, the district court had allowed Chang to go free without posting any bail the first two times, then ordered him released first on NT$150,000 bail and then on NT$300,000 bail.
Chang smashed his truck into the Presidential Office to protest what he claimed was an unfair court sentence against him in a domestic violence case.
His vehicle ran up the steps in front of the Presidential office but was stopped by a bulletproof screen.
The only person injured in the incident, Chang was found unconscious and rushed to a hospital to be treated.
Prosecutors have tried to take him into custody since he was discharged from the hospital on Jan. 29. (By Flor Wang)
