A cross-party legislative panel yesterday called on the state-run China Shipbuilding Corp (CSC) to crack down on employees linked to sloppy construction work at the Fourth Nuclear Power Plant.
Four members of the committee that is probing alleged corruption by fellow lawmakers undertook another fact-finding trip yesterday to the embattled company's headquarters in Kaohsiung.
China Shipbuilding is in charge of building the power plant's reactor pedestal, in which experts have found serious construction flaws.
Sisy Chen (陳文茜), an independent lawmaker and member of the ad-hoc panel, said the panel had to ask China Shipbuilding to supply more documents for their investigation, as the documents previously provided are of little use.
Chen, along with colleagues Lin Kuo-hua (林國華) of the DPP, Huang Chao-shun (黃昭順) of the KMT and Huang Chung-yung (黃宗源) from the TSU, had a closed-door conversation with CSC Chairman Hsu Chiang (徐強).
In mid-June, TSU Legislator Su Ying-kwei (蘇盈貴) claimed that certain DPP lawmakers were involved in the scandal. Su said he could back up his charges with evidence contained in CSC documents.
Hsu, who took over the helm of the CSC on July 1, admitted that the firm is in need of sweeping reforms.
He added that the company's employees demonstrate a lack of competence in areas such as bidding, pricing, writing contracts and executing contractual obligations.
Chen urged Hsu to beef up efforts to weed out negligent officials, saying that the resignations of the CSC's former chairman and general manager was not enough.
The legislature set up a panel to look into the matter after three DPP lawmakers, Liang Mu-yang (
Chen said she hoped the new CSC chief would track down crooked employees and turn them over to law enforcement officers.
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Chinese Nationalist Party (KMT) Chairwoman Cheng Li-wun (鄭麗文) yesterday briefed her party’s Central Standing Committee regarding her scheduled visit to the US between Monday next week and June 16, saying that her purpose would be to persuade the US that the Republic of China (ROC) Constitution was a “one China” constitution that would foster stable and peaceful cross-strait relations. The ROC Constitution is the most important defense for all Taiwanese citizens, as it upholds our democracy and has contributed to our robust economy, which aligns with international and US interests, she said. “We would not be troublemakers and drag the US under,”