[Above: Surveillance camera footage shows former lawmaker Her Jyh-huei leaving his home early yesterday morning, minutes before investigators showed up to arrest him.]

PROSECUTORS said yesterday they will soon issue warrant for the arrest of former lawmaker and Miaoli Magistrate Her Jyh-huei, who apparently escaped minutes before investigators raided his home in a probe over the bribing of High Court judges.

The Special Investigation Division under the Supreme Prosecutors Office had also issued a travel restriction order on Her yesterday.

According to surveillance camera footage, Her left his home on his scooter at 5:05 a.m. Tuesday, less than 20 minutes before officials from the Bureau of Investigation arrived.

Information varies on how and why Her left. Her's daughter and chauffeur said that it was the former lawmaker's habit to exercise and walk his dog in the early hours. The video footage released also showed dogs surrounding Her's scooter. Bureau of Investigation officials, however, said Her escaped through a second floor window after he was alarmed by the barking of his dogs.

Prosecutor-General Huang Shih-ming requested the Miaoli Investigation Station to hand in a written report on Her's escape Tuesday. Huang said he would also investigate whether Tuesday's raid was leaked, as reporters were waiting at Her's home before the investigators arrived.

Bureau of Investigation officials denied leaking any information, saying that Her was leery and ran out immediately after he realized investigators were coming. They believed Her was still in Taiwan and would apprehend him as soon as possible.

The investigators also said that Her's assistant Hsieh Yen-chen, who was held incommunicado for her involvement in Her's case yesterday, snapped her cell phone SIM card in an attempt to destroy evidence when investigators arrested her Tuesday.

Her Jyh-huei is seen appearing at the Taipei District Court to explain his role in the Tongluo Science Park development scandal in this 2004 file photo.

Her was under investigation for bribing High Court judges in return for a favorable ruling in an appellate trial on corruption charges against him concerning the Tongluo Science Park development project. Three High Court judges, one prosecutor and two other middlepersons were detained yesterday.

Having served over 20 years as former deputy council speaker, lawmaker and magistrate in his home Miaoli County, Her has strong connections in the region. Although he was expelled by the Kuomintang in 2008, Her still stood a strong chance of winning in the 2011 lawmaker election as over half of his supporters were victorious in the township chief elections this year.

Her had said he did not want to be back to politics after the Tongluo scandal, but he had second thoughts when a lot of support showed up in May to congratulate him on the appellate trial's non-guilty ruling.

-The China Post/Asia News Network