The controversial polygraph test administered by the Taipei City Government on officials suspected of leaking survey results showing Taipei councilors’ inclinations on the Taipei Dome debacle is a fiasco for Taipei Mayor Ko Wen-je (柯文哲) and highlights multiple problems in his administration.
Ko has triggered a public outcry over accusations he suppressed free will and is ignorant of the rule of law after allegedly telling officials to take the test or be fired, but the concerns pale in comparison with Ko’s lack of discipline regarding his aides, which is a threat that looms so large that it could have a destructive effect on his administration.
Ko’s remark that the city government hired a private firm after an initial investigation failed to uncover who was behind the leak could indicate two things:
It could mean that the administration is so undisciplined that the Taipei Department of Government Ethics had to call in a private firm to probe accusations of misconduct, but still failed to come up with meaningful findings, which is the scenario that the public saw over the past few days.
An even worse scenario would be that Ko knew who was behind the leak, but chose to protect them — conceivably because their skills are valuable to him.
In either scenario, there is no denying that Ko has been lenient on his close aides, who have gotten him into trouble before.
For example, his former consultant Hung Chih-kune (洪智坤) leaked city government documents regarding the “five major cases” to media outlets, drawing the ire of some Taipei councilors, who said that Hung disrupted the city government’s strategic plans to investigate the cases.
Rumors about some in Ko’s administration wielding excessive power over the city government’s decisionmaking process surfaced almost as soon as Ko assumed office and much more alarming insinuations have been made about officials having allegedly resorted to improper influence.
For instance, Democratic Progressive Party Taipei City Councilor Wang Shih-chien (王世堅) earlier this year accused Hung of accepting an eight-figure bribe from Taipei Dome contractor Farglory Group (遠雄集團) in exchange for helping resolve the impasse the city government and the firm had reached.
While Wang’s accusations seem to have faded from memory after Ko instructed the city’s Clean Government Committee to investigate Hung, new rumors of corruption in Ko’s administration have since circulated in the media and among civic groups opposed to the Dome project.
When the city government in April announced that it would negotiate with Farglory to dissolve the Dome contract, Songshan Tobacco Factory Tree Protection Union convener Arthur Yo (游藝) urged Ko to drop the plan, as it could see Taipei paying Farglory a huge amount in compensation, allowing the company to escape allegations it breached the contract.
Yo told Ko not to be blinded by his officials, a word of advice that several Taipei councilors also gave the mayor.
Apparently, Ko did not take the advice seriously. If he had, he would have been more mindful of his aides and probably would have avoided throwing the city government into turmoil.
It is important that Ko prevents his aides from improperly interfering with public issues, especially his plans for the Taipei Dome, as any backroom deals aimed at helping the project bypass due process would jeopardize public safety and interests, which are infinitely more valuable than the mayor’s faltering political career.
Ko had better keep his rogue aides on a short leash and fire them if he must, as from now on his political capital is going to shrink faster with each controversy he sparks until there is none left.
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