Violating a government ban, a retired Ministry of Audit official with access to national security budgets has gone to China and is running a chain of accountancy firms there, KMT legislator Lu Shiow-yen (盧秀燕) disclosed yesterday.
Lu raised the issue during a meeting of the legislature's Budget and Final Accounts Committee.
The official, Chu Ming-cheng (
Because Chu also headed another department in charge of auditing Ministry of Foreign Affairs' budgets, his positions gave him access to national secrets for over 10 years, Lu said.
Chu's move to China has threatened Taiwan's security, Lu said, calling for an immediate investigation.
Responding to Lu's comments, Auditor General Su Chen-ping (
Su said Chu, who worked for the government for over 25 years, had applied for retirement on the grounds that he wanted to pursue another career.
Su said the application had been filed legitimately and that he had no idea Chu was planning to do business in China.
Agreeing with Lu, Su said Chu, in his former positions, had access to national secrets.
Deputy Secretary-General of the National Security Council Antonio Chiang (江春男) said Chu has violated a ban prohibiting government officials holding national security-related positions from visiting China within three years after they leave the positions.
Chiang agreed that an investigation should be conducted into the matter.
Chiang said that the National Security Council, as a research-oriented agency, has no say over the case, but promised that it will coordinate with the concerned agencies to investigate their responsibilities.
Chu's case has again brought to light loopholes in Taiwan's national security network, following the cases of former National Security Bureau chief cashier Liu Kuan-chun (劉冠軍) and Pan Hsi-hsien (潘希賢), the former chief of the bureau's personnel department.
While Pan disappeared into China three days after retiring, Liu fled abroad after allegedly embezzling funds from the bureau.
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