Former premier Vincent Siew (蕭萬長) was questioned yesterday as a witness over the kickback and murder scandal involving Taiwan's 1991 purchase of Lafayette-class frigates.
Siew issued a statement after the questioning stating that in 1990, as the then-minister of economic affairs, he had been invited to visit France. During the trip, Siew said, French officials expressed serious concern over a growing trade deficit between the two countries. Siew then suggested that France could narrow the deficit by agreeing to sell fighter jets and warships to Taiwan.
"Then-premier Hau Pei-tsun (
PHOTO: LO PEI-DER, TAIPEI TIMES
The government's original plan in 1988 was to purchase South Korean-made frigates, but it decided in 1990 to purchase the French-made Lafayette frigates instead.
Prosecutors are attempting to determine why the government changed its mind over the warship procurement.
A special prosecutorial panel investigating the high-profile scandal earlier this month subpoenaed former deputy chief of the general staff Hsia Tien (
Hsia, who accompanied Hau on a trip to France in 1989, filed a cable during their France visit on Hau's orders asking the navy to suspend the plan to procure the South Korean-made frigates.
The cable is believed to detail the government's about-face on the frigate procurement.
The subpoena of Siew and Hsia paved the way for Hau's questioning.
The special prosecutorial panel said it would summon Hau for questioning this week.
Prosecutors may subpoena other former policymakers involved in the Lafayette-class frigate procurement, including former president Lee Teng-hui (李登輝).
Lee has previously said that he was not involved in the decision-making process over the warship procurement, and that he did not have the power to interfere with military affairs.
Lee assumed office in 1988, after former president Chiang Ching-kuo (
The special prosecutorial panel has scrutinized a large number of Swiss court files believed to be related to the kickback scandal.
They include information about 46 bank accounts in the name of Andrew Wang (
The files also include details on a number of previously unexposed overseas bank accounts related to the US$2.8 billion Lafayette deal, as well as information about account transactions.
Andrew Wang fled the country following the death of naval Captain Yin Ching-feng (
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
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
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
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
RSS