First Son-in-Law Chao Chien-ming Detained in Insider Trading Scandal; Ku Li-hsiung Appointed as Defense Attorney Sparking Special Privilege Outcry

On May 25, 2006, Chao Chien-ming, the son-in-law of Republic of China President Chen Shui-bian, was formally detained and held incommunicado by the Taipei District Court over his involvement in the high-profile Taiwan Land Development Corporation (T開) insider trading scandal. Chen's daughter, Chen Hsing-yu, immediately hired Ku Li-hsiung, a prominent attorney with extremely close ties to the first family, to serve as Chao's defense lawyer. Having repeatedly represented President Chen and his family in highly sensitive political litigations, Ku was widely dubbed by the media and the public as the first family's 'imperial/court attorney,' fueling severe social controversy. Opposition lawmakers, including Chiu Yi, slammed Ku's involvement, arguing that his prominent political affiliations would exert immense, unwritten political pressure on prosecutors and investigators, undermining judicial independence. Furthermore, public skepticism arose regarding whether the first family's astronomical legal fees were secretly funded by presidential administrative resources rather than personal funds. During court appearances, Ku was repeatedly met with angry protesters who pushed and insulted him. The scandal ignited a massive national debate in the Republic of China concerning political privilege, judicial impartiality, and professional ethics, representing one of the most controversial periods in Ku's career before his transition into politics.