Before 41-year-old Yen Ching-piao (
Yen, who got married at age 17, was nicknamed "Piao the stone pumpkin" by his grandfather for his short and stout figure.
After a government crackdown on organized crime in 1986, Yen spent three-and-a-half years in Green Island's maximum-security prison, convicted under martial law. His participation in local politics began soon after he was released.
As a member of the KMT's "black faction (
He became a grandfather the same year when his 18-year-old son Yen Kuan-heng (
Seen as holding sway among local factions and being associated with gangsters, Yen engaged in various businesses, including gravel plants, cement factories and restaurants.
It is unclear whether his investments reach as far afield as China, although he has fought strongly for the opening of direct links with China for the past two years -- ostensibly for for religious purposes, said DPP legislator Chiu Tai-san (
Yen was expelled from the KMT in April, after openly expressing support for independent candidate James Soong (
Long courted by both Soong and the KMT's presidential candidate Lien Chan (連戰), Yen said he decided to throw his support behind Soong because during his tenure as Taiwan Provincial Governor, Soong had visited his constituency more than 200 times and provided ample funds for local infrastructure projects. Yen has also received strong support from the PFP.
Analysts have said Yen's move to back Soong garnered the independent candidate crucial votes during the election in Taichung County.
Although Yen has vowed not to break the law while engineering an upcoming pilgrimage trip to the mainland, his controversial background has left many in doubt about his future intentions.
The US government has signed defense cooperation agreements with Japan and the Philippines to boost the deterrence capabilities of countries in the first island chain, a report by the National Security Bureau (NSB) showed. The main countries on the first island chain include the two nations and Taiwan. The bureau is to present the report at a meeting of the legislature’s Foreign Affairs and National Defense Committee tomorrow. The US military has deployed Typhon missile systems to Japan’s Yamaguchi Prefecture and Zambales province in the Philippines during their joint military exercises. It has also installed NMESIS anti-ship systems in Japan’s Okinawa
‘WIN-WIN’: The Philippines, and central and eastern European countries are important potential drone cooperation partners, Minister of Foreign Affairs Lin Chia-lung said Minister of Foreign Affairs Lin Chia-lung (林佳龍) in an interview published yesterday confirmed that there are joint ventures between Taiwan and Poland in the drone industry. Lin made the remark in an exclusive interview with the Chinese-language Liberty Times (the Taipei Times’ sister paper). The government-backed Taiwan Excellence Drone International Business Opportunities Alliance and the Polish Chamber of Unmanned Systems on Wednesday last week signed a memorandum of understanding in Poland to develop a “non-China” supply chain for drones and work together on key technologies. Asked if Taiwan prioritized Poland among central and eastern European countries in drone collaboration, Lin
BACK TO WORK? Prosecutors said they are considering filing an appeal, while the Hsinchu City Government said it has applied for Ann Kao’s reinstatement as mayor The High Court yesterday found suspended Hsinchu mayor Ann Kao (高虹安) not guilty of embezzling assistant fees, reducing her sentence to six months in prison commutable to a fine from seven years and four months. The verdict acquitted Kao of the corruption charge, but found her guilty of causing a public official to commit document forgery. The High Prosecutors’ Office said it is reviewing the ruling and considering whether to file an appeal. The Taipei District Court in July last year sentenced Kao to seven years and four months in prison, along with a four-year deprivation of civil rights, for contravening the Anti-Corruption
NO CONFIDENCE MOTION? The premier said that being toppled by the legislature for defending the Constitution would be a democratic badge of honor for him Premier Cho Jung-tai (卓榮泰) yesterday announced that the Cabinet would not countersign the amendments to the local revenue-sharing law passed by the Legislative Yuan last month. Cho said the decision not to countersign the amendments to the Act Governing the Allocation of Government Revenues and Expenditures (財政收支劃分法) was made in accordance with the Constitution. “The decision aims to safeguard our Constitution,” he said. The Constitution stipulates the president shall, in accordance with law, promulgate laws and issue mandates with the countersignature of the head of the Executive Yuan, or with the countersignatures of both the head of the Executive Yuan and ministers or
RSS