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.
Taiwan yesterday denied Chinese allegations that its military was behind a cyberattack on a technology company in Guangzhou, after city authorities issued warrants for 20 suspects. The Guangzhou Municipal Public Security Bureau earlier yesterday issued warrants for 20 people it identified as members of the Information, Communications and Electronic Force Command (ICEFCOM). The bureau alleged they were behind a May 20 cyberattack targeting the backend system of a self-service facility at the company. “ICEFCOM, under Taiwan’s ruling Democratic Progressive Party, directed the illegal attack,” the warrant says. The bureau placed a bounty of 10,000 yuan (US$1,392) on each of the 20 people named in
A Chinese aircraft carrier group entered Japan’s economic waters over the weekend, before exiting to conduct drills involving fighter jets, the Japanese Ministry of Defense said yesterday. The Liaoning aircraft carrier, two missile destroyers and one fast combat supply ship sailed about 300km southwest of Japan’s easternmost island of Minamitori on Saturday, a ministry statement said. It was the first time a Chinese aircraft carrier had entered that part of Japan’s exclusive economic zone (EEZ), a ministry spokesman said. “We think the Chinese military is trying to improve its operational capability and ability to conduct operations in distant areas,” the spokesman said. China’s growing
The High Court yesterday found a New Taipei City woman guilty of charges related to helping Beijing secure surrender agreements from military service members. Lee Huei-hsin (李慧馨) was sentenced to six years and eight months in prison for breaching the National Security Act (國家安全法), making illegal compacts with government employees and bribery, the court said. The verdict is final. Lee, the manager of a temple in the city’s Lujhou District (蘆洲), was accused of arranging for eight service members to make surrender pledges to the Chinese People’s Liberation Army in exchange for money, the court said. The pledges, which required them to provide identification
Nine retired generals from Taiwan, Japan and the US have been invited to participate in a tabletop exercise hosted by the Taipei School of Economics and Political Science Foundation tomorrow and Wednesday that simulates a potential Chinese invasion of Taiwan in 2030, the foundation said yesterday. The five retired Taiwanese generals would include retired admiral Lee Hsi-min (李喜明), joined by retired US Navy admiral Michael Mullen and former chief of staff of the Japan Self-Defense Forces general Shigeru Iwasaki, it said. The simulation aims to offer strategic insights into regional security and peace in the Taiwan Strait, it added. Foundation chair Huang Huang-hsiung