Representative grilled on frigate deal

Taiwan's representative to Austria, Hsia Tien (夏甸), became the target of criticism yesterday at the legislature, as lawmakers from its Foreign Relations Committee questioned the former deputy chief of the general staff on his part in the Lafayette frigate weapons purchase scandal.

Hsia was invited to report on Taiwan's current relations with Austria to the legislative committee, but the subsequent question-and-answer session centered around Hsia's involvement in the weapons purchase scandal instead.

Hsia admitted his role related to the navy's decision to "change direction" in the weapons purchase case.

The original plan under consideration in 1988 was to purchase a South Korean-made frigate, but the plan was delayed and authorities ultimately decided in 1990 to purchase the French-made Lafayette frigate instead.

"My main intention is to clear my name," said the 71-year-old general-turned-diplomat, who was also questioned on Tuesday by the Control Yuan task force in charge of the weapons purchase scandal.

Hsia said he had supported the shift in policy over the purchase of the frigate.

He claimed that South Korea at the time had continually "deferred" offering the navy a price on its frigate, which caused difficulties for the navy in making its purchase decision.

"Besides, there was speculation at the time that South Korea was to switch ties from Taipei to Beijing soon. So the relative political risk thus escalated," Hsia said.

"And I believe the final decision to purchase the Lafayette also helped the navy achieve our military objectives," Hsia said.

People First Party legislator Lee Ching-hua (李慶華), however, continued to question the shift in policy. Lee said the original plan of the navy regarding the frigate purchase was based on the so-called "high-low mix" (高低配) principle, referring to the plan to purchase 3,000-tonne frigates in combination with some 2,000-tonne frigates.

While the frigates under the banner of the navy at the time were 3,000-tonne vessels, the South Korean-made frigates originally targeted by the purchase plan fell into the 2,000-tonne category, thus meeting the "high-low mix" principle. But the shift to purchase the 3,000-tonne Lafayette violated the principle, Lee said.

Related materials revealed to a Control Yuan task force investigating the case indicated that then chief of the general staff Hau Pei-tsun (郝柏村), during his visit to France in May 1989, instructed Hsia, who had accompanied him on the trip, to send a telegram to Taiwan, ordering the delay in purchasing the Korean frigate.

Although Hau denied this had occurred when questioned by the Control Yuan task force, Hsia told lawmakers yesterday that he had sent the telegram back to Taiwan as per Hau's instruction.

Hsia went on to say that the telegram was sent with Hau's signature on it.

When asked by lawmakers whether he thought Hau had lied, Hsia defended his former boss, saying: "Maybe Hau forgot because it happened a long time ago."

Prosecutors suspect that the murder of ROC Navy Captain Yin Ching-feng (尹清楓) is related to the Lafayette weapons purchase scandal, although the related investigation into Yin's murder as well as the scandal remains inconclusive.

The Control Yuan members in charge of the investigation said the related task force will make public details regarding the navy's decision to buy the French-made vessel instead of the Korean one after the investigation report is completed.