Legislators are calling for more heads to roll after the Cabinet accepted the resignation of the nation's top representative to the UK, Tien Hung-mao (
The acceptance of Tien's resignation did not come as a surprise. It was widely expected since Minister of Foreign Affairs Mark Chen (
PHOTO: YEH CHIH-MING, TAIPEI TIMES
It intrigues many, however, that the government chose to admit mistakes it had made a long time ago, particularly when the administrative mistakes, strictly speaking, did not violate the law.
Chen criticized the London office's negligence in issuing a new passport to Yeh on March 17 and granting her six authorization papers allowing real estate transfers on May 27 -- even after the government had provided the office with a list of Wang's family members.
Tien flew back to Taipei two days after Chen's press conference. Arriving at CKS International Airport, he pleaded for an opportunity to explain the whole case, emphasizing that all operations in his office were carried out according to instructions from the central government.
Defending her husband, Tien's wife Kuo Mei-hui (
Lo Chih-cheng (
The Control Yuan and the Minister of Foreign Affairs' separate investigations have proved the London office issued the passport and the legal documents to Yeh although she supplied false information on her passport application form.
While the office's negligence was described as an "administrative mistake," Lo said that according to the law, Yeh as a Taiwanese citizen has the right to apply for a new passport.
Perhaps fearing that her identity as a murder suspect's wife would hinder her application for a passport, Yeh did not write her spouse's name on the application form. However, argued Lo, even though the office knew who she really was, it still had to issue her a passport. "Denying her a passport equates to denying her human rights," Lo said.
With the six authorization papers allowing real estate transfers, Yeh has completed two real estate deals. The other four were blocked after the visa ruckus broke out. "Why didn't investigators stop the first two transfers, knowing Yeh was behind the deals?" Lo asked.
Wang, a former arms dealer, has been wanted since September 2000 in connection with the death of navy Captain Yin Ching-feng (
Tien, the first Democratic Progressive Party (DPP) member to become a foreign minister, has never been fully trusted by President Chen Shui-bian's (
It has been known that some of Chen's national policy advisers did not like Tien as a foreign minister, criticizing him for fearing to seek major diplomatic breakthroughs. Close to former president Lee Teng-hui (
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