A former acting Yunlin County commissioner yesterday filed a libel lawsuit against a Taiwan Solidarity Union (TSU) legislator for allegedly accusing him of illegal involvement in the sand-quarrying business.
Lee Chin-yung (李進勇), a senior member of the Democratic Progressive Party (DPP) who is also a former acting Yunlin County commissioner and former Keelung mayor, filed the suit against TSU Legislator Yin Ling-ying (尹伶瑛) of Yunlin County yesterday.
Yin on Tuesday said that Lee had flagrantly permitted four sand-quarrying companies to operate in the county at the same time during his term of less than one year as acting Yunlin County county commissioner.
"To allow a number of very controversial and profitable businesses to operate in the county, Lee must have conspired with them," Yin said.
Yin said that quarrying sand along the county's Choshui River (濁水溪) has dramatically harmed the natural environment and has left the area vulnerable to natural disasters.
Although most counties have attempted to restrict sand quarrying, Lee opened up the county to the practice, Yin said.
She said the areas where Lee allowed the companies to operate should be made a protected wetland area.
Yin added that by making the accusation, she took the risk of reprisals from gangsters, which she said were frequently linked to the sand-quarry business.
Lee yesterday said that the companies had legally acquired the right to operate in Yunlin County, and that he has nothing to do with these businesses.
If Yin thinks that anything untoward had happened in the allocation of quarrying licenses, she should bring the evidence to prosecutors, Lee said.
He is demanding NT$50 million (US$1.5 million) from Yin in compensation.
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