Taiwan Quick Take: Allegation denied

The Presidential Office has dismissed an allegation that first lady Wu Shu-jen (吳淑珍) was involved in a proposed personnel reshuffle at state-run Taiwan Fertilizer Co last year. "The first lady knew nothing about the matter nor was she involved in it," the office's Department of Public Affairs said in a statement yesterday. "The unfounded accusation is unfair to the first lady and has caused her much distress." Chinese Nationalist Party (KMT) Legislator Chiu Yi (邱毅) claimed that last October the Executive Yuan wanted to replace former Taiwan Fertilizer president Huang Ching-yen (黃清晏) and that Huang had sought help from President Chen Shui-bian's (陳水扁) lawyer, Lin Chih-hao (林志豪), who is also an auditor for the company. Chiu claimed that Lin in turn contacted Wu, who then instructed Presidential Office Deputy Secretary-General Ma Yung-cheng (馬永成) to call then Cabinet secretary-general Cho Jung-tai (卓榮泰). Then premier Frank Hsieh (謝長廷) later decided to defer the reshuffle, Chiu said. Cho issued a statement yesterday denying Chiu's allegation.