George Chang (
Chang and Tung, who were indicted for corruption on Friday, also denied that they have a "relationship that goes beyond that between a superior and a subordinate," as prosecutors have alleged in their indictment of the pair.
Chang's wife, Chang Ting-lan (
Chang said he would ask the Control Yuan to probe whether the prosecutor's investigation into the corruption charges is flawed and said he would not rule out the possibility of suing prosecutors.
In addition to Chang and Tung, prosecutors have indicted two other city officials, two Taiwanese and three Japanese businessmen.
Prosecutors have recommended that Chang receive a 12-year sentence and that Tung be fined NT$20 million and spend 15 years in prison.
Prosecutors say that Chang, Tung and former municipal advisor Hsu Cheng-hsiung (
Tung in recent weeks has been treated for sciatia, a disorder affecting the lower back. She appeared at the press conference yesterday confined to a wheelchair and sobbed several times.
"The prosecutors said the mayor changed the membership of the examination committee [overseeing the project] in deference to my opinion," Tung said, a point she denied.
"The indictment said the mayor and I guided other committee members into choosing Niken as first choice. But would the prosecutors tell me this: how could we guide the committee members?"
Investigators say Tung inflated a budget item from NT$239 million to NT$342 million, an accusation she denies.
Tung said the original price was wrongly reported due to the negligence of a subcontractor. Furthermore, she said, she later tried to keep the budget for the item under NT$250 million.
"This is the material evidence sustaining my claims. Why don't the prosecutors examine the evidence?" she said, adding that she thought prosecutors were arbitrarily handling the inquiry.
Tung was arrested on June 6 and detained in the case. She was released earlier this month after the detention center holding her failed to process in time a document that would have allowed her detention for a longer period.
In the indictment of Chang and Tung, officiating prosecutor Chen Chih-ming (
But the allegation didn't ruffle Chang's wife, Chang Ting-lan.
"I simply ignore such rumors," she said. "I trust my husband. He's responsible and he takes very good care of his subordinates."
Chang also praised Tung as excellent and talented, holding her hand throughout the press conference.
Tung said prosecutors never asked her about the recorded telephone conversations.
Mayor Chang, meanwhile, said the indictment would not prevent him from running for re-election next year.
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