Under the instruction of President Chen Shui-bian (陳水扁), the Presidential Office yesterday stripped former deputy secretary-general to the Presidential Office Chen Che-nan (陳哲男) of two medals the president had conferred on him.
Chen Che-nan has been indicted for corruption related to the Kaohsiung Rapid Transit Corp (KRTC) scandal.
The Presidential Office said its decision to strip him of the medals was based on recent findings that Chen Che-nan had used Presidential Office staff to look after personal business. As a result, the Presidential Office stripped him of the Order of the Brilliant Star and the Order of Propitious Clouds.
PHOTO: LIAO CHEN-HUEI, TAIPEI TIMES
A statement released last night from the Presidential Office, said the president was "severely upset" over the misconduct.
Meanwhile, Chinese Nationalist Party (KMT) legislater insinuated that a Democratic Progressive Party (DPP) lawmaker was the source of a leaked casino photograph related to the KRTC scandal that caused two high-ranking officials to step down.
DPP Legislator Ker Chien-ming (
Lee said on Wednesday that a "pan-green heavyweight" had seen the gambling photograph before it was aired on a talk show on cable station TVBS.
Lee earlier yesterday morning said that a lawmaker from the ruling party with a business background had teamed up with gangsters to release a photograph of former deputy secretary-general Chen Che-nan (陳哲男) and former Kaohsiung Rapid Transit Corp (KRTC) vice chairman Chen Min-hsien (陳敏賢) gambling at a casino on Cheju Island, South Korea.
Lee alleged that the photograph was first handed to gangsters, who then relayed it to the TV station.
The disclosure of the photo cost the two Chens their jobs.
Swearing on his "political reputation," Ker yesterday said that he had not seen the photograph until he read the newspaper the day after the photo was broadcast. He also dismissed a remark by DPP Legislator Tu Wen-ching (杜文卿), who reportedly said that Ker had seen the photograph, as "rubbish."
Meanwhile, independent legislator Chiu Yi (
Chiu alleged that the trip was aimed at persuading Wu and Kong to push the firm's public listing. A Gamania spokesman said Chiu's comments did not make sense as the firm was listed in 2001, while the trip took place in 2002.
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