The Cabinet last night approved the resignation of Financial Supervisory Commission (FSC) Chairman Shih Jun-ji (
More than 40 Rebar Group executives have been questioned by prosecutors in the wake of the scandal, and two members of group founder Wang You-theng's (王又曾) family have been detained. Wang fled to China late last month.
At a press conference last night, Vice Premier Tsai Ing-wen (
Tsai said that Premier Su Tseng-chang (
As to who would take up the vacancy left by Shih's departure, Tsai said Su would discuss the issue with the president, who is scheduled to return to Taipei this morning following his five-day trip to Nicaragua, where he attended the inauguration of Nicaraguan President Daniel Ortega on Wednesday.
"I resigned in order to take responsibility for the recent social disturbance caused by the overnight outbreak of long-standing malpractice in the financial sector," Shih said in a text message last night.
Before any official handover, he would continue to restore financial order and further investigate allegations of embezzlement at the Rebar Group with all his effort, he said.
The commission's vice chairwoman, Susan Chang (張秀蓮), said she was surprised by Shih's resignation.
"He did not let us know beforehand. I was so surprised when I saw the news broadcast," Chang said.
Chang will now serve as acting chairwoman while Gary Tseng (
In related news, Democratic Progressive Party legislators were yesterday reportedly divided on whether Su should step down to shoulder the blame for the scandal.
A story in the Chinese-language United Evening News yesterday said that rumors were circulating in pan-green circles that the president was considering sacking the premier upon his return from Nicaragua.
When asked for comment about the reports, deputy Cabinet spokesman William Yih (
"The focus should not be shifted on to the issue of whether the premier should step down," he added.
Additional reporting by Jimmy Chuang
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