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Mr Chen Shui-Bian, who retired in May after eight years in power, is the first former Taiwanese leader to be subpoenaed as a defendant in a legal case. -- PHOTO: AFP
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TAIPEI - TAIWAN'S former president Chen Shui-bian plans to sue a man who allegedly kicked him as he entered a courthouse to defend himself in a defamation case, his office said on Tuesday.
Mr Chen 'can put up with verbal insults and abuses to protect freedom of the speech but he will not tolerate any violent behaviour', his office said in a statement.
The statement said it would reflect poorly on Taiwanese democracy if the man were allowed to remain 'at large after attacking a former leader'.
On Monday, as Mr Chen entered a Taipei district court to face a suit brought by five retired military officers over the ex-leader's claims that they took kickbacks on a frigates deal, the man allegedly kicked him in the rear end.
Police identified the alleged assailant as Mr Su An-sheng, an activist working for the reunification of Taiwan and China, from which the island split in 1949 after a civil war.
Mr Chen is known for his aggressive pro-independence stance.
Mr Su was sentenced to three days in detention for disrupting public order after the incident.
Mr Chen, who retired in May after eight years in power, is the first former Taiwanese leader to be subpoenaed as a defendant in a legal case.
Mr Chen, a lawyer by training, is also facing a corruption probe for allegedly embezzling 14.8 million Taiwan dollars (S$655,564) in state funds. His wife is on trial for graft and forgery in connection with the same case. -- AFP
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