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.
UPDATE: 5:10pm The whole of Taiwan was jolted by a magnitude 7.2 earthquake that struck just off the coast of Hualien County at 7:58am on Wednesday, the largest quake to hit the nation in 25 years. As of 4:30pm, the death toll had reached nine. A total of 821 people were injured, and 127 were still trapped or stranded. According to the Central Weather Administration (CWA), the epicenter was 25km south-southeast of Hualien County Hall at a depth of 15.5km. The highest intensity of 6 was felt in Hualien, while Yilan and Miaoli counties registered over 5. Intensities of just under 5 were felt
NO STONE UNTURNED: Although one of the new cases ate at a different branch, the CDC said it was accepting reports of illness from all of the restaurant’s outlets The number of people who have reported feeling ill after eating at a restaurant chain linked to a food poisoning outbreak has risen to 28, the Centers for Disease Control (CDC) said yesterday, adding that the outbreak, which is believed to have caused two deaths, does not appear to have spread further. After the New Taipei City Department of Health on Sunday last week reported the first death due to suspected food poisoning, more people started reporting their symptoms to hospitals and the Taipei Department of Health. They all ate at Polam Kopitiam (寶林茶室) in Taipei’s Far Eastern Department Store Xinyi A13,
The Taipei City Government yesterday said its inspection of a restaurant linked to a bongkrek acid poisoning outbreak found that a specimen collected from the chef’s hands on March 24 had tested positive for the toxin, so the restaurant would be held responsible for the food poisoning. Thirty people who ate at Polam Kopitam (寶林茶室) in Far Eastern Department Store Xinyi A13 (Xinyi A13) between March 19 and 24 have reported falling ill after eating there, with most of them having eaten a stir-fried flat rice noodle dish called char kway teow (炒粿條). Bongkrek acid, a rare toxin produced by contamination
TAIPEI DAMAGE: Buildings in Wanhua District were damaged in the quake, with some residents ordered to evacuate and one building facing possible demolition The death toll from Wednesday’s magnitude 7.2 earthquake rose to 10, while 1,099 people were injured and 15 were missing, in addition to 705 people who remained trapped, the National Emergency Response Center said at 8:40pm yesterday. The latest fatality, previously listed as missing, was a man hiking on Xiaozhuilu Trail (小錐麓步道) in Hualien County. He was found under rocks and his remains were transported out of the area in the late afternoon. The 17 other hikers who had registered their details with the Taroko National Park were all accounted for, the park management office said. All of the known fatalities occurred in