Lawmakers yesterday criticized accusations made by DPP lawmaker Chang Chin-fang (張清芳) that up to 20 of his colleagues had taken bribes in return for supporting a bill to amend the Electronic Game Regulation Act (電子遊戲場業管理條例).
The KMT has also told its lawmakers to withdraw their endorsement of the amendment, which would legalize video-game arcades, yet continue to ban video games for gambling.
Chang and another DPP lawmaker, Yeh Yi-jin (葉宜津), held a press conference on Thursday during which they accused colleagues from various parties of accepting bribes, ranging between NT$500,000 and NT$3 million, from operators of video-game arcades to endorse the amendment.
Yesterday morning, KMT Secretary-General Lin Fong-cheng (林豐正) contacted the KMT's legislative caucus whip, Lee Cheng-chong (李正宗), asking him to find out if any KMT legislator was involved in the alleged corruption.
Lin told Lee: "Before we clear things up, our policy is to drop our endorsement of the amendment. We cannot allow any one of our legislators to accept bribes. We need to figure out who those people are, if there are any."
New Party lawmaker Elmer Fung (馮滬祥) said that the accusation was ridiculous since Yeh and Chang failed to provide any evidence.
"I have endorsed the amendment," Fung said. "However, it is an insult for them to say that lawmakers who endorsed the bill have accepted bribes since it's not the truth. I will commit suicide if I am found guilty."
DPP lawmaker Lin Kuo-hua (林國華) said that the Ministry of Justice (法務部) should begin its investigation of the case and find out who actually accepted the bribes.
"Yeh and Chang accused those who have endorsed the amendment without presenting any evidence," the DPP's Lin said.
"It's actually not fair to those who did not accept the money but still endorsed the bill. If you want to point the finger at somebody, you need to back it up with evidence. Now, more and more lawmakers will drop their endorsement because nobody wants to be misunderstood."
KMT lawmaker Hsu Shu-po (許舒博), who proposed the amendment, said he would stand by it.
"We need the amendment to regulate these video-game arcades so they can be legalized," Hsu said.
"By doing so, we can create more job opportunities. ... So I'll keep up the fight."
In response to lawmakers' requests for an investigation, the Ministry of Justice's Bureau of Investigation said that Yeh and Chang's accusation had not been verified but would investigate if necessary.
"We do not have a list of those lawmakers who allegedly accepted bribes," said an anonymous senior officer at the bureau.
"However, investigators will do what they must do when the time comes."
SECURITY: As China is ‘reshaping’ Hong Kong’s population, Taiwan must raise the eligibility threshold for applications from Hong Kongers, Chiu Chui-cheng said When Hong Kong and Macau citizens apply for residency in Taiwan, it would be under a new category that includes a “national security observation period,” Mainland Affairs Council (MAC) Minister Chiu Chui-cheng (邱垂正) said yesterday. President William Lai (賴清德) on March 13 announced 17 strategies to counter China’s aggression toward Taiwan, including incorporating national security considerations into the review process for residency applications from Hong Kong and Macau citizens. The situation in Hong Kong is constantly changing, Chiu said to media yesterday on the sidelines of the Taipei Technology Run hosted by the Taipei Neihu Technology Park Development Association. With
CARROT AND STICK: While unrelenting in its military threats, China attracted nearly 40,000 Taiwanese to over 400 business events last year Nearly 40,000 Taiwanese last year joined industry events in China, such as conferences and trade fairs, supported by the Chinese government, a study showed yesterday, as Beijing ramps up a charm offensive toward Taipei alongside military pressure. China has long taken a carrot-and-stick approach to Taiwan, threatening it with the prospect of military action while reaching out to those it believes are amenable to Beijing’s point of view. Taiwanese security officials are wary of what they see as Beijing’s influence campaigns to sway public opinion after Taipei and Beijing gradually resumed travel links halted by the COVID-19 pandemic, but the scale of
A US Marine Corps regiment equipped with Naval Strike Missiles (NSM) is set to participate in the upcoming Balikatan 25 exercise in the Luzon Strait, marking the system’s first-ever deployment in the Philippines. US and Philippine officials have separately confirmed that the Navy Marine Expeditionary Ship Interdiction System (NMESIS) — the mobile launch platform for the Naval Strike Missile — would take part in the joint exercise. The missiles are being deployed to “a strategic first island chain chokepoint” in the waters between Taiwan proper and the Philippines, US-based Naval News reported. “The Luzon Strait and Bashi Channel represent a critical access
Pope Francis is be laid to rest on Saturday after lying in state for three days in St Peter’s Basilica, where the faithful are expected to flock to pay their respects to history’s first Latin American pontiff. The cardinals met yesterday in the Vatican’s synod hall to chart the next steps before a conclave begins to choose Francis’ successor, as condolences poured in from around the world. According to current norms, the conclave must begin between May 5 and 10. The cardinals set the funeral for Saturday at 10am in St Peter’s Square, to be celebrated by the dean of the College
RSS