Lawmakers were outraged yesterday after discovering that Environmental Protection Administration head Tsai Hsung-hsiung (蔡勳雄) was actually in Taiwan after he had apparently explained his absence from the Legislative Yuan yesterday by claiming he was overseas.
Tsai could face possible punishment for his alleged lack of respect for the legislature, reports said yesterday.
The EPA's chief administrator was requested to give a report in the legislature regarding the construction of United Microelectronics Corporation's (聯電, UMC) wafer foundry, which was built at the Hsinchu Science-based Industrial Park.
The company was recently found to have failed to provide an environmental impact assessment (EIA) as required by law.
Although requested to appear for questioning regarding the case, Tsai had reportedly claimed he could not attend under the pretext that he was abroad. Instead, he instructed deputy administrator Lin Ta-hsiung (林達雄) to attend the hearing on his behalf.
The truth was uncovered, however, when Lin replied to a question posed by DPP lawmaker Tseng Tsai mei-tso (曾蔡美佐) by saying: "As for this matter, I'll have to ask our administrator."
Once the words were heard, the legislators burst into an uproar over the apparent lie as to Tsai's whereabouts.
DPP legislators Chou Chin-yu (
"Such conduct is not only a display of contempt for the legislature, but also the system, country and people," Chou said.
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