Allegations that the French electronics firm Thomson-CSF was involved in a murder plot are the latest twist in a scandal that has tarnished the reputation of a French former foreign minister and various oil executives.
Thomson-CSF shares fell, with some analysts blaming the murder allegations for the fall, while others said it was due to profit-taking.
The scandal broke out in the mid-1990s when French magistrates began investigating the 1991 sale by France of six frigates to Taiwan.
Negotiations for the US$2.8-billion sale were launched in 1988 with the government of then president Francois Mitterrand giving its approval in early 1989.
Earlier this year the scandal forced former French foreign minister Dumas to step down as president of the Constitutional Council, France's top judicial authority.
In Taiwan, a scandal linked to the frigate sale broke out in 1993 after the body of naval captain Yin Ching-feng (
He was reportedly murdered to prevent him revealing kickbacks paid to Taiwan to facilitate the sale of the frigates.
An adviser to Taiwan President Chen Shui-bian (
Thomson declined yesterday to comment on Chen's adviser's remarks.
Thomson shares fell 2.9 percent to 48.35 euros in afternoon trading, while the wider market was down 1.8 percent.
An analyst, who declined to be named, said "if the news is true, it's very bad for the company," said another analyst.
So far 28 people, including 13 military officers and 15 arms brokers, have been jailed in Taiwan on charges relating to the kickbacks scandal and Yin's death.
RETHINK? The defense ministry and Navy Command Headquarters could take over the indigenous submarine project and change its production timeline, a source said Admiral Huang Shu-kuang’s (黃曙光) resignation as head of the Indigenous Submarine Program and as a member of the National Security Council could affect the production of submarines, a source said yesterday. Huang in a statement last night said he had decided to resign due to national security concerns while expressing the hope that it would put a stop to political wrangling that only undermines the advancement of the nation’s defense capabilities. Taiwan People’s Party Legislator Vivian Huang (黃珊珊) yesterday said that the admiral, her older brother, felt it was time for him to step down and that he had completed what he
Taiwan has experienced its most significant improvement in the QS World University Rankings by Subject, data provided on Sunday by international higher education analyst Quacquarelli Symonds (QS) showed. Compared with last year’s edition of the rankings, which measure academic excellence and influence, Taiwanese universities made great improvements in the H Index metric, which evaluates research productivity and its impact, with a notable 30 percent increase overall, QS said. Taiwanese universities also made notable progress in the Citations per Paper metric, which measures the impact of research, achieving a 13 percent increase. Taiwanese universities gained 10 percent in Academic Reputation, but declined 18 percent
CHINA REACTS: The patrol and reconnaissance plane ‘transited the Taiwan Strait in international airspace,’ the 7th Fleet said, while Taipei said it saw nothing unusual The US 7th Fleet yesterday said that a US Navy P-8A Poseidon flew through the Taiwan Strait, a day after US and Chinese defense heads held their first talks since November 2022 in an effort to reduce regional tensions. The patrol and reconnaissance plane “transited the Taiwan Strait in international airspace,” the 7th Fleet said in a news release. “By operating within the Taiwan Strait in accordance with international law, the United States upholds the navigational rights and freedoms of all nations.” In a separate statement, the Ministry of National Defense said that it monitored nearby waters and airspace as the aircraft
UNDER DISCUSSION: The combatant command would integrate fast attack boat and anti-ship missile groups to defend waters closest to the coastline, a source said The military could establish a new combatant command as early as 2026, which would be tasked with defending Taiwan’s territorial waters 24 nautical miles (44.4km) from the nation’s coastline, a source familiar with the matter said yesterday. The new command, which would fall under the Naval Command Headquarters, would be led by a vice admiral and integrate existing fast attack boat and anti-ship missile groups, along with the Naval Maritime Surveillance and Reconnaissance Command, said the source, who asked to remain anonymous. It could be launched by 2026, but details are being discussed and no final timetable has been announced, the source