The majority shareholder in Zan-adau Development Corp yesterday denied a KMT legislator's allegations that Kaohsiung City Mayor Frank Hsieh (謝長廷) was involved in the company's scandal because of a NT$4.5 million check.
Su Hui-chen (蘇惠珍) told reporters that the accusation was impossible because not only did she not know Hsieh, but the check in question was dated four years before Zanadau was formed.
KMT Legislative Whip Lee Chuan-chiao (李全教) made the allegation against Hsieh at a press conference on Saturday at the Legislative Yuan, when he showed a copy of a NT$4.5 million check made out to Hsieh that allegedly had Hsieh's signature as the payee.
Su Hui-chen's chop also appeared on the check.
Su confirmed that the chop on the check was hers, but she said "she never paid anything to Hsieh" because she did not know him.
She also said that she was quite sure that the check had nothing to do with the Zanadau scandal because the check was written on Nov. 25, 1994 and Zanadau was established in May 1998.
"I'm sure it was my stamp on the check. I have never written any check or donated anything to Hsieh. I'm sure about that, too. But I really have no idea why a check like this would be written from me to Hsieh since I never had any financial dealings with him," Su said.
"Unfortunately, I can't do any investigating because it's the weekend," Su added. "But I assure you that I will figure it out with my bank first thing on tomorrow morning."
Su talked with reporters yesterday morning in front of the Ministry of Justice's Bureau of Investigation Taipei Office after she was summoned by the prosecutors investigating the Zanadau scandal.
She said that she will hold a press conference today to make public what she discovers about the check.
On Saturday, Lee said the check had been obtained from an anonymous source and that Hsieh's signature had been confirmed before the decision was made to hold a press conference.
When asked how a 1994 transaction could relate to a scandal involving a company that did not exist until 1998, Lee said, "Go ask Hsieh. He will tell you what was going on."
In a separate press conference Hsieh said he did not know Su and denied Lee's allegation.
His spokeswoman, Qen Pei-ling (管碧玲), told the Taipei Times that "it appeared to be Hsieh's signature" but they planned on consulting the bank.
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