MJIB's new chief takes command

With the change in leadership yesterday in the Ministry of Justice's Investigation Bureau (MJIB), the bureau's future stance toward the Cabinet-proposed establishment of an anti-corruption administration has raised public concern.

Asked by the media after his swearing-in ceremony about his stance on the issue, the bureau's new director Yeh Sheng-mao (葉盛茂) said only that "the MJIB will act in accordance with the legislature's bidding."

To be sure, whether or not the planned anti-corruption agency will materialize depends ultimately on the legislature. Indeed, in recent months controversy has raged about allegations that the investigation bureau has conspired with opposition legislators to resist the government proposal.

The draft of the anti-corruption administration law was still being reviewed in committee when the last legislative session ended in June. Before that it had been blocked several times by KMT lawmakers from even being discussed at the committee stage of the review process.

MJIB personnel are concerned that the bureau would be weakened by a new agency.

Former bureau director Wang Kuang-yu (王光宇), who left office yesterday, admitted in May before the legislature that he was "not able to raise both hands to give an affirmative vote [over the establishment of the anti-corruption administration]" because there was resistance within the MJIB.

Though never clearly stating that he or the bureau were against the proposal, Wang obviously embarrassed his boss, Minister of Justice Chen Ding-nan (陳定南), by the remark.

Analysts differed as to whether the new bureau director would be supportive of the government's proposal.

Hsieh Li-kung (謝立功), a bureau investigator-turned scholar and associate professor at the Central Police University, said that since Yeh has better relations with President Chen Shui-bian (陳水扁) than Wang had, resistance from the bureau would be minimal "if President Chen is determined to set up the anti-corruption administration."

But supporters and opponents of the proposal disagree about the president's attitude.

A senior official at the justice ministry's Department of Government Ethics (法務部政風司), the unit drafting the anti-corruption administration organization law, said he was optimistic because Chen has in recent months said at least twice that an agency devoted

to fighting corruption must be

established.

"And this is the Cabinet's policy," he said. The draft was passed to the legislature last October by the Executive Yuan.

However, Su Yu-chi (蘇玉麒), spokesman for the Investigators' Reform Association (調查員改革協會), which is against the proposal, speculated that the president's intention is still not clear.

Members of the association believe that it is more important to reform the investigation bureau and promote its efficiency in fighting corruption than it is to establish a new organization doing a similar job.

Acknowledging that resistance from investigators may be a problem, however, the government ethics department is making efforts to convince opposition legislators.

A government ethics department official, who declined to be named, said they expected the draft to pass the legislation in the new legislative session that begins next month.

The key to changing the attitude of opposition lawmakers would be an amendment to the current draft, the ethics official said.