Democratic Progressive Party (DPP) members yesterday provided futher evidence in support of allegations that Vice President Wu Den-yih (吳敦義) hired a family member who was allegedly involved in the Lin Yi-shih (林益世) scandal to handle his political donations.
Hau Ying-chiao (郝英嬌), Wu’s sister-in-law, was in charge of his campaign finances and political donations in 1994, 1998, 2001 and 2004, DPP Legislator Chao Tien-lin (趙天麟) and DPP Central Executive Committee member Hung Chih-kun (洪智坤) said on Sunday and yesterday via Facebook messages.
Hau has reportedly been in close contact with Wu Men-chung (吳門忠), a Nantou-based supporter of Wu Den-yih who allegedly admitted receiving a NT$10 million (US$330,000) kickback in the Lin scandal. Hau allegedly called Wu Men-chung to say a report in the Chinese-language Next magazine had linked him and Wu Den-yih.
Wu Den-yih has spent the past week clarifying — with conflicting explanations — the report that hinted at his possible role in the Lin scandal.
The former premier, who has vehemently denied his involvement in the Lin scandal, first said Hau was a housewife who did not handle political affairs, but later admitted that she helped with campaign finances in 1994 and 1998, adding that it was natural for family members to help out with campaign affairs.
Chao said that Hau’s handling of political donations and campaign finances was neither illegal nor immoral, but asked why Wu Den-yih “had to lie about it.”
While there was no evidence that part of Wu Men-chung’s kickback had been transferred to Hau or the vice president, Chao said that the Special Investigation Division (SID) of the Supreme Prosecutors’ Office should probe Hau’s role in the scandal and records of Wu Den-yih’s political donations.
Meanwhile, former DPP -Kaohsiung city councilor Huang Chao-hsing (黃昭星), accused Wu Den-yih of illegally hiring his sister-in-law, Huang A-hsueh (黃阿雪) in the Kaohsiung City Government.
Wu Den-yih, who served as Kaohsiung mayor from 1990 to 1998, said yesterday that the hiring was legal.
In reponse to reporters’ questions, DPP spokesperson Lin Chun-hsien (林俊憲) said the party would not speculate on whether Wu Den-yih was involved in the Lin scandal, but said that the vice president “has not been telling the truth to the public.”
“Honesty is the best policy. Wu [Den-yih] is responsible and obligated to offer a clear explanation to the people,” Lin said, urging the SID to open an investigation.
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