The Democratic Progressive Party (DPP) yesterday released more details about Chinese Nationalist Party (KMT) Chairman Lien Chan's (連戰) assets, saying he had concealed many family investments from the public, including NT$1 billion invested in seven companies.
The DPP has claimed that Lien and his father, both formerly civil servants, started their careers from scratch and yet were able to accumulate NT$20 billion thanks to their abuse of office when the KMT ran the country.
PHOTO: CHEN TSE-MING, TAIPEI TIMES
Yesterday, the KMT claimed that Lien's wealth amounted to only NT$1.3 billion and went on the offensive, questioning how DPP Chairman Chen Shui-bian (
According to Taipei County Commissioner Su Tseng-chang (
In response to Lien's assertion that his wealth, as reported to the Control Yuan, was only NT$1.3 billion, Su said, "This report only includes those assets which are registered under Lien, his wife, Lien Fang Yu (
Su added that the boards of Lien's seven associate enterprises consist of Lien's wife and daughter and other relatives and confidants.
"It is impossible to calculate the amount of assets related to these individuals in the enterprises. However, the registered capital assets of these companies is as high as NT$1.02 billion. Therefore, Lien's total assets should amount to over NT2.3 billion," Su said.
Su also suggested that Lien had not been honest in his previous submissions about his wealth. According to Su, Lien once received a fine of NT$300,000 for omitting a loan of NT$36 million to Wu Tse-yuan (
"Furthermore, in 1999 and 2000, Lien made two major payments, which included the purchase of a NT$50 million house and a NT$200 million donation to the 921 earthquake reconstruction efforts. These two payouts were not listed on Lien's asset reports in those two years," Su said.
As well as stepping up the attacks on Lien, the DPP also defended their leader from counterattacks from the pan-blue camp.
"The KMT claimed that the securities that President Chen owns had increased to NT$63.60 billion in 2002 from NT$18.38 in 2000," Presidential Office Secretary-General Chiou I-jen (
Presidential election candidates who get more than 5 percent of the vote are eligible to claim NT$30 for every vote.
According to Chiou, Chen's securities in 2002 were worth only NT$15.09 million, down from NT$18.38 million in 2000.
In response to the KMT's accusation, first lady Wu Shu-chen (
Wu has agreed to file a lawsuit next week against the KMT, Chiou said.
ROLLER-COASTER RIDE: More than five earthquakes ranging from magnitude 4.4 to 5.5 on the Richter scale shook eastern Taiwan in rapid succession yesterday afternoon Back-to-back weather fronts are forecast to hit Taiwan this week, resulting in rain across the nation in the coming days, the Central Weather Administration said yesterday, as it also warned residents in mountainous regions to be wary of landslides and rockfalls. As the first front approached, sporadic rainfall began in central and northern parts of Taiwan yesterday, the agency said, adding that rain is forecast to intensify in those regions today, while brief showers would also affect other parts of the nation. A second weather system is forecast to arrive on Thursday, bringing additional rain to the whole nation until Sunday, it
LANDSLIDES POSSIBLE: The agency advised the public to avoid visiting mountainous regions due to more expected aftershocks and rainfall from a series of weather fronts A series of earthquakes over the past few days were likely aftershocks of the April 3 earthquake in Hualien County, with further aftershocks to be expected for up to a year, the Central Weather Administration (CWA) said yesterday. Based on the nation’s experience after the quake on Sept. 21, 1999, more aftershocks are possible over the next six months to a year, the agency said. A total of 103 earthquakes of magnitude 4 on the local magnitude scale or higher hit Hualien County from 5:08pm on Monday to 10:27am yesterday, with 27 of them exceeding magnitude 5. They included two, of magnitude
OVERWHELMING SUPPORT: The bill with US$2 billion in Foreign Military Financing Program funds and US$1.9 billion to replenish defense articles passed the House 385-34 Taiwan is to continue working with the US to ensure peace in the Taiwan Strait, the Ministry of National Defense said yesterday after the US House of Representatives approved a US$95 billion foreign aid package with funding for Taiwan. The bills were passed with bipartisan support in a rare Saturday session after votes had been delayed for months by House Republicans. After clearing the House, the bills — containing US$8 billion for Taiwan and the Indo-Pacific region, along with US$60.8 billion for Kyiv, and US$26 billion for Israel and humanitarian aid for civilians in conflict zones — would be combined into a
The navy next month is expected to commission into service two more domestically built Tuo Chiang-class stealth missile corvettes, a source said yesterday. The Hsu Chiang (旭江, PGG-621) and the Wu Chiang (武江, PGG-623) would be officially commissioned in a ceremony early next month, the source said, speaking on condition of anonymity. The corvettes, launched in February and June last year respectively, were delivered to the navy in February. They are the third and fourth Tuo Chiang-class stealth missile corvettes to be produced. The Tuo Chiang-class corvette is a domestically designed and manufactured class of fast and stealthy multipurpose corvette built for the