A highly-placed government official has revealed that a check, worth NT$100 million, from a "business figure" in the construction field, intended as a donation for the KMT's legislative election campaign in 1992, was directly deposited into the account of independent presidential candidate James Soong's (
The money, according to the source, was then used to purchase short-term bills from the Chung Hsing Bills Finance Corporation (
The Ministry of Finance has apparently already found records that show both the source and the destination of the check.
PHOTO: CHEN CHENG-CHANG, TAIPEI TIMES
The source, who spoke on condition of anonymity, added that at the time the scandal first broke in early December, Soong had requested his secretary contact the person who had sent the check in question, and asked that he become the "elder" that Soong later claimed had been the source of the original funds queried by KMT legislator Yang Chi-hsiung (
A Soong spokesman, Yen Jung-chang (
Meanwhile, President and KMT chairman Lee Teng-hui (
As he headed into the KMT's Central Standing Committee meeting, Lee was asked by reporters about Soong's comments Tuesday midnight regarding allegations of slush fund deposits in the accounts of Soong Chen-yuan and sister-in-law Chen Pi-yun (
"How can this be happening, with the thief [Soong] transforming himself into the status of boss [the idea of Soong running for president]," Lee said.
"Somebody [indicating Soong] attempting to use political forces to blur the focus, is not only a crook but also a trickster; such behavior is too disgraceful for a candidate,'' Lee said heatedly.
"How can this kind of shameless person be able to act like a eligible celebrity or candidate,'' Lee asked.
The Central Standing Committee yesterday heard a report on an investigation into the irregular financial dealings at Chung Hsing Bills Finance.
The KMT report raised suspicions of Soong's involvement in forging documents and illegally taking over party property.
Before the meeting Lee specifically told reporters that the entire matter is a judicial issue rather than a political matter.
After reading the report on the KMT's inquiries during the committee meeting, Lee said that while awaiting formal conclusions from the judiciary, the KMT could consider the possibility of suing Soong.
Ever since Lee launched a war of words against Soong on Sept. 14 -- accusing Soong of trying to buy the presidency -- both the rhetoric and the firepower have escalated dramatically.
A top aide of Lee's echoed his boss' remarks yesterday, casting doubt over Soong's account of events in the scandal and urging him to stop appearances on late-night political talk shows.
"Soong claimed that the money was given with Lee's permission, but I wonder about the total amount of the funds, from whom the money was collected and the way he received the money from Lee,'' said Su Chih-cheng (
Raising his voice, Su accused Soong of purposely dragging Lee into the mud.
"Since you [Soong] were prepared to call on an `elder figure' who could help give a clear account of the sources of the funds (in the accounts) from the very beginning, then why bother to change your story later on? Even worse, which damn fool coached you with the idea of getting Lee into trouble?'' Su asked.
Su said that after Soong answered these questions, he would continue to cross-examine him and through this process he believed the truth would naturally come out.
Meanwhile, Soong was reluctant to comment on Lee's verbal attack yesterday, brushing Lee's remarks aside.
"Recently, when I have heard such accusations, I have always felt sorry about such offensive remarks. Since the people are not thieves, they will not elect a president who is a thief; I hope our next president won't behave like a burglar,'' Soong said.
Saying he has learned a lesson from the inappropriate financial dealings related to his relatives' accounts, Soong went to the National Tax Administration yesterday to register his properties in an effort to further make public his assets.
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