Liu case controversy: TSU calls for search of PFP headquarters

TSU lawmakers asked the Ministry of Justice yesterday to search PFP headquarters if the party refused to present all confidential documents related to secret National Security Bureau (NSB) accounts.

The media's revelation last Wednesday of the secret NSB accounts established under Lee Teng-hui's (李登輝) administration has sparked a war between TSU and PFP legislators. The parties have both come out in defense of their mentors -- PFP Chairman James Soong (宋楚瑜) and Lee, spiritual leader of the TSU.

Reports published in the China Times and Next magazine said that two secret accounts, containing a combined NT$3.5 billion, were not subject to legislative monitoring and had in essence become Lee's "private stash" during his presidency. The reports cited information believed to have been provided by the NSB's former chief cashier, Colonel Liu Kuan-chun (劉冠軍), who is wanted by authorities for allegedly embezzling NT$192 million.

Since the articles were published, the TSU has accused Soong of masterminding the exposure in an effort to undermine Lee.

TSU lawmaker Lo Chih-ming (羅志明) said that sources told him Liu had prepared four copies of the disk containing the secret information before he fled the country.

One copy was held by the media, another by the PFP and the remaining two were kept by two retired NSB officials, according to Lo's sources.

Lo asked Soong to reveal the identity of the person who had given him the disk in question.

Although the PFP claims it has submitted all its information on the matter to the Ministry of Justice, TSU legislators said some documents are still in the PFP's hands.

They urged the PFP to hand over "all confidential documents" in its possession by today or they would demand justice officials search PFP headquarters to prevent the party from further exposing national secrets.

PFP lawmaker Chin Hui-chu (秦慧珠) reacted to the allegation by asking, "How do they [TSU officials] know how much information we have and how much we have given to the justice department?"

Chin said the TSU's statements indicated that it also has a copy of Liu's disk.

Soong said on Saturday that the TSU was creating a conspiracy theory to divert attention from the real issue.

Once Lee's closest aide, Soong parted ways with the former president after Lee backed Lien Chan (連戰) to run on his ticket in the 1996 presidential election. In addition, it is widely believed that Soong blames Lee for implicating him in the Chung Hsing Bills case (興票案).