The Control Yuan task force investigating the financial scandal surrounding independent presidential candidate James Soong (
"In order to assure financial order and to protect the privacy of customers, during the three-and-a-half hour meeting, we [the members of the Control Yuan] focused our questioning on leaks of [financial] information," said Lee Shen-yi (
In addition to questioning financial authorities, the Control Yuan yesterday also called on financial institutions involved in handling the questionable funds, such as the Chung Hsing Finance Bills Corp (
After meeting with Chiu yesterday, task force members said that the Bank of Taiwan had not been involved in the leaking of any data, but that Chung Hsing Bills Finance still needed further investigation.
"Judging from the documents offered by KMT legislator at-large Yang Chi-hsiung (
Ma said the Control Yuan had already asked Chung Hsing Bills Finance to produce the original, unaltered form as soon as possible, to allow them to continue looking into transactions related to alleged slush funds allegedly set up by Soong and his sister-in-law, Chen Pi-yun (
"The task force has also demanded that the finance ministry enhance [banks'] security measures for business clients, and to carefully look into whether any officials were involved in divulging business secrets to the media," Ma said.
As to the task force's next step, Ma said they would first try to restore the transaction form through computer simulation, instead of summoning Soong.
"Until the test results come out, we still lack concrete evidence that would determine who revealed this information," said Chao Ron-jaw (
The Control Yuan task force was established on Dec. 31 last year, aiming to piece together an accurate picture of the transactions involved in the scandal that has continued to dog the former provincial governor.
In related news yesterday, Soong's lawyer, Huang Tong-shong (
The Presidential Office, however, returned the letter to Huang yesterday, saying that the money was not Lee's, therefore he could not accept it.
The Central Weather Administration (CWA) yesterday said it expected to issue a sea warning for Typhoon Fung-Wong tomorrow, which it said would possibly make landfall near central Taiwan. As of 2am yesterday, Fung-Wong was about 1,760km southeast of Oluanpi (鵝鑾鼻), Taiwan’s southernmost point, moving west-northwest at 26kph. It is forecast to reach Luzon in the northern Philippines by tomorrow, the CWA said. After entering the South China Sea, Typhoon Fung-Wong is likely to turn northward toward Taiwan, CWA forecaster Chang Chun-yao (張峻堯) said, adding that it would likely make landfall near central Taiwan. The CWA expects to issue a land
Taiwan’s exports soared to an all-time high of US$61.8 billion last month, surging 49.7 percent from a year earlier, as the global frenzy for artificial intelligence (AI) applications and new consumer electronics powered shipments of high-tech goods, the Ministry of Finance said yesterday. It was the first time exports had exceeded the US$60 billion mark, fueled by the global boom in AI development that has significantly boosted Taiwanese companies across the international supply chain, Department of Statistics Director-General Beatrice Tsai (蔡美娜) told a media briefing. “There is a consensus among major AI players that the upcycle is still in its early stage,”
The Central Weather Administration (CWA) yesterday said it is expected to issue a sea warning for Typhoon Fung-wong this afternoon and a land warning tomorrow. As of 1pm, the storm was about 1,070km southeast of Oluanpi (鵝鑾鼻), Taiwan’s southernmost point, and was moving west-northwest at 28 to 32kph, according to CWA data. The storm had a radius of 250km, with maximum sustained winds of 173kph and gusts reaching 209kph, the CWA added. The storm is forecast to pass near Luzon in the Philippines before entering the South China Sea and potentially turning northward toward Taiwan, the CWA said. CWA forecaster Chang Chun-yao (張峻堯) said
Japanese Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi yesterday said that China using armed force against Taiwan could constitute a "survival-threatening situation" for Japan, allowing the country to mobilize the Japanese armed forces under its security laws. Takaichi made the remarks during a parliamentary session while responding to a question about whether a "Taiwan contingency" involving a Chinese naval blockade would qualify as a "survival-threatening situation" for Japan, according to a report by Japan’s Asahi Shimbun. "If warships are used and other armed actions are involved, I believe this could constitute a survival-threatening situation," Takaichi was quoted as saying in the report. Under Japan’s security legislation,
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