The accuracy of the fax sent on Monday by the former chairman of the Tuntex Group, Chen Yu-hao (
"Chen Yu-hao's assertion that he offered a political donation to President Chen Shui-bian (
Chen Yu-hao has been mired in a scandal related to the development of his business in China. He has been accused of embezzling about NT$800 million from a Tuntex Group subsidiary, Tunghua Development, for investment in China and was indicted on charges of breach of trust in 2002.
Chen Yu-hao reportedly fled to China in August of that year.
"We learned from other Taiw-anese businessmen stationed in China that the tycoon was forced to fax the letters under pressure from the Chinese government, because his businesses in China had come to a dead end," Tsai told a press conference yesterday morning.
The Taiwanese businessmen said that Chen Yu-hao's investments in China had been frozen. Furthermore, Chen Yu-hao could not easily return to Taiwan, having debts of over NT$6 million in his homeland, he said.
"The Chinese government is therefore using him as a tool to influence Taiwan's presidential election," Tsai told reporters.
Besides vowing to bring Chen Yu-hao to justice, Tsai and his DPP colleague Chang Ching-fang (張清芳) also urged Chinese Nationalist Party (KMT) Chairman Lien Chan (連戰) to publicly account for how he would cope with former friends and subordinates on the 10 most-wanted fugitives list created by the Executive Yaun.
Lien should elaborate on whether or not he would pardon two former subordinates -- the ex-president of Central Broadcasting System Gloria Chu (朱婉清) and former Legislator Wu Tzer-yuan (伍澤元) -- after his election, Chang said.
Three Taiwanese airlines have prohibited passengers from packing Bluetooth earbuds and their charger cases in checked luggage. EVA Air and Uni Air said that Bluetooth earbuds and charger cases are categorized as portable electronic devices, which should be switched off if they are placed in checked luggage based on international aviation safety regulations. They must not be in standby or sleep mode. However, as charging would continue when earbuds are placed in the charger cases, which would contravene international aviation regulations, their cases must be carried as hand luggage, they said. Tigerair Taiwan said that earbud charger cases are equipped
Foreign travelers entering Taiwan on a short layover via Taiwan Taoyuan International Airport are receiving NT$600 gift vouchers from yesterday, the Tourism Administration said, adding that it hopes the incentive would boost tourism consumption at the airport. The program, which allows travelers holding non-Taiwan passports who enter the country during a layover of up to 24 hours to claim a voucher, aims to promote attractions at the airport, the agency said in a statement on Friday. To participate, travelers must sign up on the campaign Web site, the agency said. They can then present their passport and boarding pass for their connecting international
UNILATERAL MOVES: Officials have raised concerns that Beijing could try to exert economic control over Kinmen in a key development plan next year The Civil Aviation Administration (CAA) yesterday said that China has so far failed to provide any information about a new airport expected to open next year that is less than 10km from a Taiwanese airport, raising flight safety concerns. Xiamen Xiangan International Airport is only about 3km at its closest point from the islands in Kinmen County — the scene of on-off fighting during the Cold War — and construction work can be seen and heard clearly from the Taiwan side. In a written statement sent to Reuters, the CAA said that airports close to each other need detailed advanced
WEATHER Typhoon forming: CWA A tropical depression is expected to form into a typhoon as early as today, the Central Weather Administration (CWA) said yesterday, adding that the storm’s path remains uncertain. Before the weekend, it would move toward the Philippines, the agency said. Some time around Monday next week, it might reach a turning point, either veering north toward waters east of Taiwan or continuing westward across the Philippines, the CWA said. Meanwhile, the eye of Typhoon Kalmaegi was 1,310km south-southeast of Oluanpi (鵝鑾鼻), Taiwan’s southernmost point, as of 2am yesterday, it said. The storm is forecast to move through central