Media personality Clara Chou (周玉蔻) yesterday gave her testimony and made more allegations as she went to the Special Investigation Division (SID) of the Supreme Prosecutors’ Office to provide evidence to back her accusation that President Ma Ying-jeou (馬英九) had received a large sum of money as a political donation from the food-scandal-tainted Ting Hsin International Group (頂新國際集團).
Accompanied by her lawyer, Chou brought files and documents to the session with the SID yesterday morning, which she said were evidence to present to Prosecutor Lin Cheng-tsung (林承宗), who is leading the investigation.
Chou told reporters that she has confidence in her evidence.
Photo: CNA
“All my statements are backed up by sources and secret witnesses,” she said.
While being interviewed by the media at her SID appearance, the radio host ignited more controversy by accusing Chinese Nationalist Party (KMT) Legislator Wu Yu-sheng (吳育昇) of leaking classified government material to Ting Hsin.
“When Ting Hsin was embroiled in the food scandal earlier this year, Wu applied to the Ministry of Health and Welfare for access to internal confidential reports. Later on, Wu leaked these classified government information and reports to Ting Hsin,” Chou said.
Photo: Wang Min-wei, Taipei Times
The veteran media personality went on the offensive against Ma and KMT officials.
“The Ma administration, including Ma himself, the KMT caucus at the legislature and KMT legislators were obvious in their group effort to protect Ting Hsin and shield the company from prosecution,” she said.
After her session with the SID, Chou told reporters that she had offered to name her “secret witnesses” so that the SID could investigate the four major alleged cases of bribery and influence-peddling involving Ma, his officials and Ting Hsin.
“I have the sources, the witnesses and details of where they got the information. When they decide to investigate these cases, I will cooperate fully with SID prosecutors and reveal the names and all the evidence,” she said.
Chou has caused political turmoil in the past week by going public with allegations that Ma received NT$200 million (US$6.3 million) in an off-the-books political donation from Ting Hsin, citing witnesses and sources among former officials in the National Security Council.
Her accusations have severely tarnished Ma’s image, which prompted him on Thursday to vow to file a lawsuit, in an individual capacity, against Chou.
The case is in the evidence-gathering stage and there is no clear defendant as yet, SID Director Kuo Wen-tung (郭文東) said.
The SID is looking at Chou’s statements and her evidence to determine whether the case falls under the division’s jurisdiction, Kuo said, adding that if not, it would be transferred to the Taipei District Prosecutors’ Office.
NEXT GENERATION: The four plants in the Central Taiwan Science Park, designated Fab 25, would consist of four 1.4-nanometer wafer manufacturing plants, TSMC said Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Co (TSMC, 台積電) plans to begin construction of four new plants later this year, with the aim to officially launch production of 2-nanometer semiconductor wafers by late 2028, Central Taiwan Science Park Bureau director-general Hsu Maw-shin (許茂新) said. Hsu made the announcement at an event on Friday evening celebrating the Central Taiwan Science Park’s 22nd anniversary. The second phase of the park’s expansion would commence with the initial construction of water detention ponds and other structures aimed at soil and water conservation, Hsu said. TSMC has officially leased the land, with the Central Taiwan Science Park having handed over the
AUKUS: The Australian Ambassador to the US said his country is working with the Pentagon and he is confident that submarine issues will be resolved Australian Ambassador to the US Kevin Rudd on Friday said that if Taiwan were to fall to China’s occupation, it would unleash China’s military capacities and capabilities more broadly. He also said his country is working with the Pentagon on the US Department of Defense’s review of the AUKUS submarine project and is confident that all issues raised will be resolved. Rudd, who served as Australian prime minister from 2007 to 2010 and for three months in 2013, made the remarks at the Aspen Security Forum in Colorado and stressed the longstanding US-Australia alliance and his close relationship with the US Undersecretary
‘WORLD WAR III’: Republican Representative Marjorie Taylor Greene said the aid would inflame tensions, but her amendment was rejected 421 votes against six The US House of Representatives on Friday passed the Department of Defense Appropriations Act for fiscal 2026, which includes US$500 million for Taiwan. The bill, which totals US$831.5 billion in discretionary spending, passed in a 221-209 vote. According to the bill, the funds for Taiwan would be administered by the US Defense Security Cooperation Agency and would remain available through Sept. 30, 2027, for the Taiwan Security Cooperation Initiative. The legislation authorizes the US Secretary of Defense, with the agreement of the US Secretary of State, to use the funds to assist Taiwan in procuring defense articles and services, and military training. Republican Representative
TAIWAN IS TAIWAN: US Representative Tom Tiffany said the amendment was not controversial, as ‘Taiwan is not — nor has it ever been — part of Communist China’ The US House of Representatives on Friday passed an amendment banning the US Department of Defense from creating, buying or displaying any map that shows Taiwan as part of the People’s Republic of China (PRC). The “Honest Maps” amendment was approved in a voice vote on Friday as part of the Department of Defense Appropriations Act for the 2026 fiscal year. The amendment prohibits using any funds from the act to create, buy or display maps that show Taiwan, Kinmen, Matsu, Penghu, Wuciou (烏坵), Green Island (綠島) or Orchid Island (Lanyu, 蘭嶼) as part of the PRC. The act includes US$831.5 billion in
RSS