On a day when a Chinese-language newspaper reported that the Presidential Office had announced new regulations concerning the entitlements of former presidents, the nation's only surviving former president yesterday denied that his trip to Japan for medical treatment in April was made at the government's expense.
"Don't be fooled by what the papers say. One paper said today that I had recently used the government's money to travel abroad," said Lee Teng-hui (李登輝). "That's nonsense, the money I used was my own."
The Taiwan Research Institute (台綜院), a think tank headed by Lee, also issued a statement saying that the former president's trip to Japan had not been made at the government's expense.
But some lawmakers have raised suspicions that the new regulations, which also relate to the benefits accorded to former vice presidents and their wives, were tailor-made to benefit Lee, especially in respect to potential future trips to Japan for medical treatment, said the local paper.
The NT$80 million that Lee currently receives from the government annually includes his salary and at least NT$8 million for housing.
It pays for nine cars, nine drivers, 13 office staff and 21 security guards. It also covers utilities and office rental.
During the review process for the government's budget last year, many lawmakers objected to the former president receiving such a generous annual handout.
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