The Ministry of National Defense (MND) yesterday censured a number of top navy officers, including Vice Minister of National Defense Admiral Pu Tze-chun (蒲澤春) and Chief of General Staff Admiral Lee Hsi-ming (李喜明), in connection with a minesweeper procurement scandal.
Disciplinary action was doled out for misconduct in contracting Ching Fu Shipbuilding Co (慶富造船) to build the vessels and a report on the minesweeper program presented by defense officials in the legislature last year, the ministry told a news conference.
A total of 24 officers were disciplined, it said.
Photo: Tu Chu-min, Taipei Times
A ministerial task force was called on Nov. 2 after an Executive Yuan investigative report found fault with the military’s handling of the contract with Ching Fu to build six minesweepers, the ministry said.
The probe found flaws in the military’s pre-bidding preparations, the contract, the process for awarding the bid and supervision of the contractor’s compliance with its obligations, it said.
Eighteen admirals and captains were disciplined for their role in the procurement, including Pu, who received a demerit.
Photo: Chang Chia-ming, Taipei Times
Lee and Navy Commander Rear Admiral Huang Shu-kuang (黃曙光), and former deputy minister of national defense Admiral Chen Yung-kang (陳永康) each received two warnings.
Vice Admiral Huang Hsi-ju (黃希儒), procurement division chief of the ministry’s Armaments Bureau, received a demerit.
Nine navy admirals and captains were censured for misinforming lawmakers on the progress that Ching Fu was making on the minesweeper program during a budget report on Nov. 17 last year, the ministry said.
The officers presented a report that was inaccurate, the ministry said, adding that the incident reflected organizational failures on multiple levels of the ministry.
Four of the nine censured for making inaccurate reports to the legislature were also involved in the minesweepers’ procurement.
Armaments Bureau Director-General Vice Admiral Mei Chia-shu (梅家樹) received one demerit and three warnings for his conduct in the procurement process and the budget report.
The officers the ministry censured are currently serving or had served at influential ministerial posts, as well as Navy Command Headquarters and the navy’s Planning Division.
The ministry’s internal investigation is ongoing and it has informed prosecutors of its findings, which might result in criminal proceedings, it said.
President Tsai Ing-wen (蔡英文) vowed to thoroughly investigate the minesweeper scandal, address the government’s shortcomings and forge ahead with the domestic warship program.
“We will find out the truth and uphold the highest standards of accountability. This program that was initiated by previous administration is clearly flawed. The program must be subjected to strict scrutiny, from decisionmaking to bidding, syndicated loans and contract supervision,” she said in a statement.
“Each and every relevant agency must fully cooperate with the investigation... Any individual who is guilty of corruption will receive no leniency, regardless of who they are or what rank they hold,” she said.
The government will keep its focus on problem-solving and correct errors regardless of when they first occurred, she said, adding that the nation needs a more effective procurement system that excludes unsuitable contractors.
Her administration will continue its policy to develop a domestic shipbuilding program, Tsai said.
“It is my hope that this error and failure will be a lesson for our armed forces to find the right path forward,” she said.
“The government’s resolve to be self-sufficient in national defense is unshakable. We will not allow an isolated incident to affect our determination to have navy ships built domestically,” she said.
TRAGEDY STRIKES TAIPEI: The suspect died after falling off a building after he threw smoke grenades into Taipei Main Station and went on a killing spree in Zhongshan A 27-year-old suspect allegedly threw smoke grenades in Taipei Main Station and then proceeded to Zhongshan MRT Station in a random killing spree that resulted in the death of the suspect and two other civilians, and seven injured, including one in critical condition, as of press time last night. The suspect, identified as a man surnamed Chang Wen (張文), allegedly began the attack at Taipei Main Station, the Taipei Fire Department said, adding that it received a report at 5:24pm that smoke grenades had been thrown in the station. One man in his 50s was rushed to hospital after a cardiac arrest
A car bomb killed a senior Russian general in southern Moscow yesterday morning, the latest high-profile army figure to be blown up in a blast that came just hours after Russian and Ukrainian delegates held separate talks in Miami on a plan to end the war. Kyiv has not commented on the incident, but Russian investigators said they were probing whether the blast was “linked” to “Ukrainian special forces.” The attack was similar to other assassinations of generals and pro-war figures that have either been claimed, or are widely believed to have been orchestrated, by Ukraine. Russian Lieutenant General Fanil Sarvarov, 56, head
SAFETY FIRST: Double the number of police were deployed at the Taipei Marathon, while other cities released plans to bolster public event safety Authorities across Taiwan have stepped up security measures ahead of Christmas and New Year events, following a knife and smoke bomb attack in Taipei on Friday that left four people dead and 11 injured. In a bid to prevent potential copycat incidents, police deployments have been expanded for large gatherings, transport hubs, and other crowded public spaces, according to official statements from police and city authorities. Taipei Mayor Chiang Wan-an (蔣萬安) said the city has “comprehensively raised security readiness” in crowded areas, increased police deployments with armed officers, and intensified patrols during weekends and nighttime hours. For large-scale events, security checkpoints and explosives
PUBLIC SAFETY: The premier said that security would be tightened in transport hubs, while President Lai commended the public for their bravery The government is to deploy more police, including rapid response units, in crowded public areas to ensure a swift response to any threats, President William Lai (賴清德) said yesterday after a knife attack killed three people and injured 11 in Taipei the previous day. Lai made the remarks following a briefing by the National Police Agency on the progress of the investigation, saying that the attack underscored the importance of cooperation in public security between the central and local governments. The attack unfolded in the early evening on Friday around Taipei Main Station’s M7 exit and later near the Taipei MRT’s Zhongshan
RSS