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.
The US government has signed defense cooperation agreements with Japan and the Philippines to boost the deterrence capabilities of countries in the first island chain, a report by the National Security Bureau (NSB) showed. The main countries on the first island chain include the two nations and Taiwan. The bureau is to present the report at a meeting of the legislature’s Foreign Affairs and National Defense Committee tomorrow. The US military has deployed Typhon missile systems to Japan’s Yamaguchi Prefecture and Zambales province in the Philippines during their joint military exercises. It has also installed NMESIS anti-ship systems in Japan’s Okinawa
‘WIN-WIN’: The Philippines, and central and eastern European countries are important potential drone cooperation partners, Minister of Foreign Affairs Lin Chia-lung said Minister of Foreign Affairs Lin Chia-lung (林佳龍) in an interview published yesterday confirmed that there are joint ventures between Taiwan and Poland in the drone industry. Lin made the remark in an exclusive interview with the Chinese-language Liberty Times (the Taipei Times’ sister paper). The government-backed Taiwan Excellence Drone International Business Opportunities Alliance and the Polish Chamber of Unmanned Systems on Wednesday last week signed a memorandum of understanding in Poland to develop a “non-China” supply chain for drones and work together on key technologies. Asked if Taiwan prioritized Poland among central and eastern European countries in drone collaboration, Lin
BACK TO WORK? Prosecutors said they are considering filing an appeal, while the Hsinchu City Government said it has applied for Ann Kao’s reinstatement as mayor The High Court yesterday found suspended Hsinchu mayor Ann Kao (高虹安) not guilty of embezzling assistant fees, reducing her sentence to six months in prison commutable to a fine from seven years and four months. The verdict acquitted Kao of the corruption charge, but found her guilty of causing a public official to commit document forgery. The High Prosecutors’ Office said it is reviewing the ruling and considering whether to file an appeal. The Taipei District Court in July last year sentenced Kao to seven years and four months in prison, along with a four-year deprivation of civil rights, for contravening the Anti-Corruption
NO CONFIDENCE MOTION? The premier said that being toppled by the legislature for defending the Constitution would be a democratic badge of honor for him Premier Cho Jung-tai (卓榮泰) yesterday announced that the Cabinet would not countersign the amendments to the local revenue-sharing law passed by the Legislative Yuan last month. Cho said the decision not to countersign the amendments to the Act Governing the Allocation of Government Revenues and Expenditures (財政收支劃分法) was made in accordance with the Constitution. “The decision aims to safeguard our Constitution,” he said. The Constitution stipulates the president shall, in accordance with law, promulgate laws and issue mandates with the countersignature of the head of the Executive Yuan, or with the countersignatures of both the head of the Executive Yuan and ministers or
RSS