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Bribery scandal widens at MOTC

The secretary to former minister of transportation and communications Lin Ling-san's (林陵三), Soong Nai-wu (宋乃午), was released on bail by Taipei prosecutors yesterday after being charged for allegedly taking bribes in a scandal involving the ministry's Electric Tool Collection (ETC) system.

"Soong leaked secret ministry documents to contractors before the ETC bidding took place, and prosecutors are also investigating whether Soong and other officials received money from contractors," Taipei Prosecutors' Office spokesman Lin Pang-liang (林邦樑) said yesterday.

"The office has released Soong on bail of NT$300,000 [US$10,000]," Lin said.

According to Chinese-language newspapers, former Chingyeh Co assistant manager Tsai Chin-hung (蔡錦鴻) -- allegedly the key man in the scandal -- told investigators that Soong and at least two lawmakers were involved in the ETC scandal and took bribes.

Prosecutors yesterday summoned Tsai for questioning, saying they are investigating the matter.

Tsai had been indicted by the Taipei Prosecutors' Office in February in a different scandal at the ministry.

The earlier scandal involved the Taiwan Railway Administration's purchase of "axle counters."

Prosecutors said the two scandals were very similar and could be related.

In the ETC scandal, prosecutors suspect that Soong leaked the secret documents about ETC to Tsai before the bidding began, and then Tsai gave the information to contractors.

Soong allegedly received money from the contractors who won the bid.

Chinese-language newspaper reports said that at least two legislators respectively took more than NT$10,000,000 in bribes from contractors for their "help" in winning the bid.

Soong is now the secretary-general of the ministry's Directorate General of Highways.

He released a statement on Thursday night before he entered the Taipei Prosecutors' Office, saying "I would commit suicide if I or my family was found taking dirty money."

In the "axle counters" scandal, Tsai Chin-hung, Liu Ta-fu (劉大福) -- Democratic Progressive Party (DPP) Legislator Wang Tuoh's (王拓) aide -- Teng Young International Co president Wu Ding-fa (吳定發), French manufacturer Alcatel's Taiwan regional manager Jean Philippe Benoist and German manufacturer Siemens' Taiwan regional president Leslie Lok (駱一華) were indicted by the Taipei Prosecutors' Office.

According to prosecutors, Liu, Tsai and Wu were to be the brokers acting between Siemens and Alcatel during the procurement process.

To win the bid, Alcatel bribed officials with NT$70,000,000, while Siemens would withdraw from the bid.

According to the investigators, Tsai received NT$27,600,000, Lok received NT$3,000,000, and Liu received NT$1,500,000 for their help.

Prosecutors suspect that Tsai transferred money to Soong and other officials, but they are still looking for evidence. In addition, the rest of the bribe money is missing, and prosecutors are trying to track it down.
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