Invitation for Lecture Collaboration on the Lo Ming-ts'un Case | A Wrongful Corruption Conviction of a Former Criminal Investigation Unit Chief

Amidst the sweltering summer heat, while we enjoy our moments of freedom, Lo Ming-ts'un is locked away in a dreary cell, fighting a battle for justice that is already 27 years overdue. Once Taiwan's youngest criminal investigation unit chief, he worked tirelessly for public safety. Today, he faces cold iron bars every day in Yilan Prison.

In 1997, Lo Ming-ts'un was accused of accepting a NT$500,000 bribe from organized crime and shielding criminals. Despite having ample alibi evidence, such as firearms logbooks and meeting minutes, which showed that at the time the court claimed he accepted the bribe he was actually handling the high-profile Pai Hsiao-yen murder case, Lo was still convicted by the court based on flawed testimonies and a lie detector test report.

Even more absurdly, Lo was once acquitted by the court during his retrial (the first remanding trial). Because the prosecutor failed to appeal within the statutory appeal period, the case should have legally been finalized as an acquittal. However, due to the judicial system's bad habit of "cutting slack" for prosecutors by giving them a few extra days to appeal, the prosecution successfully appealed, and the Supreme Court eventually revoked the acquittal ruling once again.

The judicial issues highlighted by this case include:

• The scientific validity of lie detector tests and the past and future of Taiwan's forensic science system
• Evidence structure analysis in wrongful convictions: testimonies obtained through improper interrogations and unaccepted alibis
• Difficulties in wrongful conviction relief: the problem of "extraordinary relief" mechanisms where "retrials" and "extraordinary appeals" pass the buck to each other

We sincerely invite students and teachers to gain an in-depth understanding of this case. This is not only part of the movement to exonerate Lo Ming-ts'un, but also a direct opportunity for rule-of-law and human rights education. Whether you have questions about the injustice of Lo Ming-ts'un's case, are interested in the legal procedures involved, or wish to understand how the judicial system utilizes scientific evidence, as long as someone is willing to listen, we hope to share this with you.

Now over seventy years old and suffering from cancer, Lo Ming-ts'un still cries out from behind the cold, high walls: "I didn't do it, I didn't take the money." He hopes to be the last victim of injustice in the judicial system so that wrongful convictions will never happen again. Schools at all levels, community colleges, and local associations are welcome to fill out the form to contact us. We will arrange for pro bono lawyers or volunteer members to serve as lecturers to explain the details of Lo Ming-ts'un's case and the progress of his rescue.

＊Introduction to the Lo Ming-ts'un Case, Former Police Officer Lo Ming-ts'un | The Man Who Could Not Wait for Vindication, and the Echoing Song
＊February 2024: Lo Ming-ts'un's Request for Extension of Medical Parole Denied
 

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