The investigation report released this March by the Control Yuan contained no mention of this part of Lee's interview records.
Chao stressed that opinions on which parts of the interview records should have been included in the report do not reflect the task force's conclusions about the scandal. "Our conclusions about the scandal were shown in the formal report released this March."
In the investigation report, the task force concluded that former premier Hau and top former military officials usurped the president's supreme authority over defense policy and concealed from the president policy changes that they made in the process.
The MND said it couldn't comment on the report until it had done its own investigation and the Control Yuan published the result of its investigations into certain military officials it proposed to impeach in connection with the scandal.
Without commenting on whether there was any possibility for a coup happening during Lee's presidency, the MND stressed the current state of the military, saying the armed forces were bound by the constitution and relevant laws to protect the country and be loyal to the president. The relevant laws are the Defense Law and the Organizational Law of the MND, which came into effect long after the Lafayette purchase.
Retired military officials told the Taipei Times of threats of a coup from military leaders in thrall to General Hau during the early period of Lee's presidency.
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