The Control Yuan yesterday censured the Taipei City Government over its handling of the Taipei Dome, saying that its actions have undermined the partnership with Farglory Group (遠雄集團), which undertook the build-operate-transfer (BOT) project.
Farglory earlier this year asked the Control Yuan to investigate whether the city government’s suspension of construction at the Taipei Dome complex was legitimate.
An investigative report by Control Yuan members Wang Mei-yu (王美玉), Chang Kuei-mei (仉桂美) and Pao Tsung-ho (包宗和) censured the city government for repeatedly turning to the media to distribute information about its stance — including proposals to dissolve the BOT contract and the possibility of an interested third party taking over the project — saying this undermined the partnership with Farglory by ignoring the collaborative nature of the BOT project.
Photo: Fang Pin-chao, Taipei Times
The report said that the city government had “illegally” entrusted the Taipei Clean Government Committee, formed by Taipei Mayor Ko Wen-je (柯文哲), with the task to investigate possible illegalities in the project, because the committee’s purview, appointment and authority to investigate are not covered by existing laws.
Citing the Council of Grand Justices’ Interpretation No. 585, the report said there should be a special act in place if the investigation of a case must be entrusted to a party without legal investigative power, with the special act detailing party members’ purview, appointment, terms and qualifications.
However, citing Farglory’s deviations from the original construction plan that the city approved, the Control Yuan members said they found no improprieties in the work suspension order.
“Farglory Group, as the project contractor, arbitrarily changed the approved blueprint and altered the construction work, which gave rise to public safety concerns. For this, it has an unavoidable responsibility,” the report said.
Responding to the statement that the city had inappropriately resorted to the media, Taipei City Government spokesman Sidney Lin (林鶴明) said that the city disclosed detailed information on the latest project developments at news conferences because it is a high-profile public issue.
He said that the city values its partnership with Farglory and has met with the firm’s representatives numerous times since Ko assumed office.
However, given Farglory’s deviations from the construction plan, the city was fulfilling its responsibility as the project’s supervisor by suspending construction, adding that it would continue to handle the project under the BOT framework, Lin said.
The city hopes to engage in more face-to-face discussions to work out swift solutions to the project, he added.
He denied that the committee’s work was illegal, saying that it was formed in accordance with a bylaw governing the establishment of Taipei City Government agencies.
The committee is a consultancy unit for the city government, with its investigative right mandated by the city’s administrative power, Lin said, adding that the city government would report to the Control Yuan to clear any doubts over the committee’s legitimacy.
Farglory spokesman Jacky Yang (楊舜欽) praised the Control Yuan’s report, saying that the committee has neither the expertise nor the jurisdiction required to investigate the project.
The committee even went as far as to release its own investigative reports to the media, Yang said, adding that the firm is “powerless” against this “bully tactic.”
NO HUMAN ERROR: After the incident, the Coast Guard Administration said it would obtain uncrewed aerial vehicles and vessels to boost its detection capacity Authorities would improve border control to prevent unlawful entry into Taiwan’s waters and safeguard national security, the Mainland Affairs Council (MAC) said yesterday after a Chinese man reached the nation’s coast on an inflatable boat, saying he “defected to freedom.” The man was found on a rubber boat when he was about to set foot on Taiwan at the estuary of Houkeng River (後坑溪) near Taiping Borough (太平) in New Taipei City’s Linkou District (林口), authorities said. The Coast Guard Administration’s (CGA) northern branch said it received a report at 6:30am yesterday morning from the New Taipei City Fire Department about a
IN BEIJING’S FAVOR: A China Coast Guard spokesperson said that the Chinese maritime police would continue to carry out law enforcement activities in waters it claims The Philippines withdrew its coast guard vessel from a South China Sea shoal that has recently been at the center of tensions with Beijing. BRP Teresa Magbanua “was compelled to return to port” from Sabina Shoal (Xianbin Shoal, 仙濱暗沙) due to bad weather, depleted supplies and the need to evacuate personnel requiring medical care, the Philippine Coast Guard (PCG) spokesman Jay Tarriela said yesterday in a post on X. The Philippine vessel “will be in tiptop shape to resume her mission” after it has been resupplied and repaired, Philippine Executive Secretary Lucas Bersamin, who heads the nation’s maritime council, said
REGIONAL STABILITY: Taipei thanked the Biden administration for authorizing its 16th sale of military goods and services to uphold Taiwan’s defense and safety The US Department of State has approved the sale of US$228 million of military goods and services to Taiwan, the US Department of Defense said on Monday. The state department “made a determination approving a possible Foreign Military Sale” to the Taipei Economic and Cultural Representative Office in the US for “return, repair and reshipment of spare parts and related equipment,” the defense department’s Defense Security Cooperation Agency said in a news release. Taiwan had requested the purchase of items and services which include the “return, repair and reshipment of classified and unclassified spare parts for aircraft and related equipment; US Government
More than 500 people on Saturday marched in New York in support of Taiwan’s entry to the UN, significantly more people than previous years. The march, coinciding with the ongoing 79th session of the UN General Assembly, comes close on the heels of growing international discourse regarding the meaning of UN Resolution 2758. Resolution 2758, adopted by the UN General Assembly in 1971, recognizes the People’s Republic of China (PRC) as the “only lawful representative of China.” It resulted in the Republic of China (ROC) losing its seat at the UN to the PRC. Taiwan has since been excluded from