The scandal over the issuance of legal documents to the wife of fugitive murder suspect Andrew Wang (汪傳浦) claimed a high-profile victim yesterday, as Minister of Foreign Affairs Mark Chen (
Former representative to the US Chen Chien-jen (
Chen confirmed that the change was partly a result of the UK representative office's blunder in issuing a passport to a fugitive murder suspect's wife.
Chen's unexpected announcement came while he concluded a press conference announcing Taiwan's 12th bid to join the UN. Saying that the government will select a new EU representative, Chen added that the Ministry of Foreign Affairs (MOFA) made the decision in order to overhaul its personnel in Europe.
The minister said the UK representative office's negligence in issuing a passport and legal documents to Yeh Hsiu-chen (葉秀貞), the wife of murder suspect Andrew Wang, made him realize that every detail of the country's diplomatic work affects society deeply.
Tien Hung-mao (
Tien was the foreign minister when the representative office in Geneva issued a notarization of a power of attorney for Wang in July 2001.
He was the representative to the UK and Chien was the foreign minister when the representative office in London issued another notarization of power of attorney for Wang in February last year.
Following the two incidents, the UK office ignored a list of Wang's family members provided by investigators and issued Yeh a new passport and documents allowing real estate transfers.
"The government is actively seeking a new representative to the EU. The public has high expectations of our diplomatic efforts, and the EU is quickly expanding. We shall have new thinking and a new direction for our diplomatic policy," Chen said.
"Chien's performance as a foreign minister has been outstanding. I believe he will have another opportunity to serve the government in the future," added the minister.
The minister denied the government's decision to revoke Chien's appointment as having anything to do with Chien's alleged role in the corruption-tainted sale of French Lafayette-class frigates to Taiwan in the 1990s.
Wang, a former arms dealer, has been wanted since September 2000 in connection with the murder of Navy Captain Yin Ching-feng (
Chen said he informed Chien of the ministry's decision personally.
"I told him about the decision in a brief phone call," he said.
Chien, when contacted by phone, told several reporters he knew nothing about the cancelation of his new posting before Chen announced it in the press conference. He declined to make further comments on the matter.
Senior ministry officials have said the ministry needs to send a new representative to the EU before the end of the summer.
DEFENSE: The first set of three NASAMS that were previously purchased is expected to be delivered by the end of this year and deployed near the capital, sources said Taiwan plans to procure 28 more sets of M-142 High Mobility Artillery Rocket Systems (HIMARS), as well as nine additional sets of National Advanced Surface-to-Air Missile Systems (NASAMS), military sources said yesterday. Taiwan had previously purchased 29 HIMARS launchers from the US and received the first 11 last year. Once the planned purchases are completed and delivered, Taiwan would have 57 sets of HIMARS. The army has also increased the number of MGM-140 Army Tactical Missile Systems (ATACMS) purchased from 64 to 84, the sources added. Each HIMARS launch pod can carry six Guided Multiple Launch Rocket Systems, capable of
Tropical Storm Podul strengthened into a typhoon at 8pm yesterday, the Central Weather Administration (CWA) said, with a sea warning to be issued late last night or early this morning. As of 8pm, the typhoon was 1,020km east of Oluanpi (鵝鑾鼻), Taiwan’s southernmost tip, moving west at 23kph. The storm carried maximum sustained winds of 119kph and gusts reaching 155kph, the CWA said. Based on the tropical storm’s trajectory, a land warning could be issued any time from midday today, it added. CWA forecaster Chang Chun-yao (張竣堯) said Podul is a fast-moving storm that is forecast to bring its heaviest rainfall and strongest
GET TO SAFETY: Authorities were scrambling to evacuate nearly 700 people in Hualien County to prepare for overflow from a natural dam formed by a previous typhoon Typhoon Podul yesterday intensified and accelerated as it neared Taiwan, with the impact expected to be felt overnight, the Central Weather Administration (CWA) said, while the Directorate-General of Personnel Administration announced that schools and government offices in most areas of southern and eastern Taiwan would be closed today. The affected regions are Tainan, Kaohsiung and Chiayi City, and Yunlin, Chiayi, Pingtung, Hualien and Taitung counties, as well as the outlying Penghu County. As of 10pm last night, the storm was about 370km east-southeast of Taitung County, moving west-northwest at 27kph, CWA data showed. With a radius of 120km, Podul is carrying maximum sustained
TRAJECTORY: The severe tropical storm is predicted to be closest to Taiwan on Wednesday and Thursday, and would influence the nation to varying degrees, a forecaster said The Central Weather Administration (CWA) yesterday said it would likely issue a sea warning for Tropical Storm Podul tomorrow morning and a land warning that evening at the earliest. CWA forecaster Lin Ting-yi (林定宜) said the severe tropical storm is predicted to be closest to Taiwan on Wednesday and Thursday. As of 2pm yesterday, the storm was moving west at 21kph and packing sustained winds of 108kph and gusts of up to 136.8kph, the CWA said. Lin said that the tropical storm was about 1,710km east of Oluanpi (鵝鑾鼻), Taiwan’s southernmost tip, with two possible trajectories over the next one
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