Former vice president Lien Chan (連戰) yesterday defended his daughter Lien Hui-hsin’s (連惠心) investment in a nutrition supplement company whose weight-loss pills were found to contain unauthorized drugs, and said there may be political influence behind the investigation into the company.
Lien Hui-hsin on Sunday admitted she had invested in Geneherbs Biotechnology Co (菁茵荋生物科技). She had previously denied any involvement in the management of the firm.
Controversies over her promotion of the company’s products arose after Taipei City’s Department of Health confirmed that the firm’s weight-loss product — Wellslim Plus+ — contained cetilistat, a lipase inhibitor designed to treat obesity.
Photo: CNA
Lien Chan, a former Chinese Nationalist Party (KMT) chairman, said he has absolute confidence in his daughter and her handling of the situation, and said she will resolve the dispute with sincerity and well-thought consideration.
“As a citizen, I am against any food product or drug that damages public health. However, I also do not want to see any improper force influence the authorities’ handling of the case,” he said in response to reporters’ questions.
He added that he did not exclude the possibility that the case was being politically manipulated, but he did not elaborate.
He said he took Wellslim Plus+ and was “still very healthy.”
Democratic Progressive Party (DPP) Taipei City Councilor Juan Chao-hsiung (阮昭雄) first raised questions about the pills, and the city’s health department later reported the company to prosecutors after confirming that the pills contained unauthorized drugs.
Taipei Mayor Hau Lung-bin (郝龍斌) yesterday said public figures or celebrities should be more cautious about advertising products. He also said the city government would help consumers who had purchased the pills seek compensation from the company.
Hau said his close friendship with Lien Chan and his family would not impact the city’s handling of the matter.
Meanwhile, Premier Jiang Yi-huah (江宜樺) denied that political influence had been a factor in the investigation into the content of Wellslim Plus+.
“At least I was not involved in the controversy... And I believe that the local prosecutors’ office will investigate the case fairly,” Jiang said in response to a question from DPP Legislator Chen Chi-mai (陳其邁) during a question-and-answer session at the legislature.
While saying she was a shareholder in the company, Lien Hui-hsin on Sunday questioned the timing of the probe as well as the extensive media coverage, saying that political influence could be a factor.
There have been rumors that relationship between the Lien family and President Ma Ying-jeou (馬英九) has soured because of Ma’s perceived passiveness toward further investigations into the shooting of former Taipei EasyCard Corp chairman Sean Lien (連勝文) during a campaign rally in November 2010 as well as the election-eve shooting of then-president Chen Shui-bian (陳水扁) and then-vice president Annette Lu (呂秀蓮) on March 19 2004, who were running against Lien Chan and People First Party Chairman James Soong (宋楚瑜).
Sean Lien is regarded as a popular candidate for next year’s Taipei mayoral election, although he has not said whether he is interested in running.
Additional reporting by staff writer
FREEDOM OF NAVIGATION: The UK would continue to reinforce ties with Taiwan ‘in a wide range of areas’ as a part of a ‘strong unofficial relationship,’ a paper said The UK plans to conduct more freedom of navigation operations in the Taiwan Strait and the South China Sea, British Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs David Lammy told the British House of Commons on Tuesday. British Member of Parliament Desmond Swayne said that the Royal Navy’s HMS Spey had passed through the Taiwan Strait “in pursuit of vital international freedom of navigation in the South China Sea.” Swayne asked Lammy whether he agreed that it was “proper and lawful” to do so, and if the UK would continue to carry out similar operations. Lammy replied “yes” to both questions. The
‘OF COURSE A COUNTRY’: The president outlined that Taiwan has all the necessary features of a nation, including citizens, land, government and sovereignty President William Lai (賴清德) discussed the meaning of “nation” during a speech in New Taipei City last night, emphasizing that Taiwan is a country as he condemned China’s misinterpretation of UN Resolution 2758. The speech was the first in a series of 10 that Lai is scheduled to give across Taiwan. It is the responsibility of Taiwanese citizens to stand united to defend their national sovereignty, democracy, liberty, way of life and the future of the next generation, Lai said. This is the most important legacy the people of this era could pass on to future generations, he said. Lai went on to discuss
MISSION: The Indo-Pacific region is ‘the priority theater,’ where the task of deterrence extends across the entire region, including Taiwan, the US Pacific Fleet commander said The US Navy’s “mission of deterrence” in the Indo-Pacific theater applies to Taiwan, Pacific Fleet Commander Admiral Stephen Koehler told the South China Sea Conference on Tuesday. The conference, organized by the Center for Strategic and International Studies (CSIS), is an international platform for senior officials and experts from countries with security interests in the region. “The Pacific Fleet’s mission is to deter aggression across the Western Pacific, together with our allies and partners, and to prevail in combat if necessary, Koehler said in the event’s keynote speech. “That mission of deterrence applies regionwide — including the South China Sea and Taiwan,” he
UNPRECEDENTED: In addition to the approved recall motions, cases such as Ma Wen-chun’s in Nantou are still under review, while others lack enough signatures The Central Election Commission (CEC) announced yesterday that a recall vote would take place on July 26, after it approved the first batch of recall motions targeting 24 Chinese Nationalist Party (KMT) lawmakers and Hsinchu Mayor Ann Kao (高虹安). Taiwan is in the midst of an unprecedented wave of mass recall campaigns, following a civil society push that echoed a call made by Democratic Progressive Party (DPP) caucus whip Ker Chien-ming (柯建銘) in January to initiate signature drives aimed at unseating KMT legislators. Under the Civil Servants Election and Recall Act (公職人員選舉罷免法), Taiwanese can initiate a recall of district-elected lawmakers by collecting
RSS