The Presidential Office yesterday dismissed a rumor that President Chen Shui-bian (陳水扁) had read an investigation report about his son-in-law's alleged involvement in a stock trading scandal, and that he had called for a suspended sentence in the case of a conviction.
"The president has never seen such a report, nor has he ever made such a remark," said David Lee (
Presidential Office Deputy Secretary-General Cho Jung-tai (
PHOTO: CHANG CHUNG-YI, TAIPEI TIMES
Vice President Annette Lu (
"If the ministry fails to do so, it may well remind the public of the `Pachang Creek incident,'" she said.
She was referring to an incident in July 2000 which claimed the lives of four workers when rescuers failed to arrive in time. The entire process was televised live on local TV.
The incident cost then vice premier Yu Shyi-kun his job. Yu's departure made him the shortest-serving vice premier in the nation's history, after a term of just five months.
Although Yu said at the time that the choice to resign was his and his alone, it is believed that the decision came directly from Chen in a bid to help quell discontent by showing that high-ranking government officials should bear the responsibility for mistakes made on their watch.
"It will be a great shame for the entire nation if the investigation fails to bear fruit within three months," Lu said.
"I am calling on the Ministry of Justice, the Bureau of Investigation, the National Police Administration and the Judicial Yuan to step up their efforts and produce a concrete result by Sept. 28, the 20th anniversary of the foundation of the Democratic Progressive Party," she said.
As Chen has repeatedly emphasized that everyone was equal before the law and that the judicial system should handle the case in a swift and stringent manner, Lu said that investigators would be putting the president in an embarrassing position if they failed to resolve the case as soon as possible.
"The longer the investigation drags on, the less confidence the public will have in the government," she said.
Chinese Nationalist Party (KMT) Legislator Lee Ching-hua (李慶華) yesterday threatened to have Chen recalled.
KMT Legislator Lo Shih-hsiung (
Lo's proposal failed to gain the backing of the full KMT caucus.
People First Party (PFP) legislators were divided over Lo's proposal yesterday.
PFP caucus whip Lee Hung-chun (李鴻鈞) said that recalling the president for the reasons stated by Lo would be going too far.
Chang Hsien-yao (
Meanwhile, the Presidential Office yesterday responded to an allegation made by KMT Legislator Chiu Yi (
David Lee said that the Presidential Office would not conceal any wrongdoing, and challenged Chiu and Li to produce evidence for their claim.
Additional reporting by Shih Hsiu-chuan
NEW AGREEMENT: Malaysia approved imports last year after nearly two years of negotiations and inspections to meet quarantine requirements, officials said Up to 3.6 tonnes of pomeloes from Taiwan cleared Malaysian customs on Friday, in the first shipment of Taiwanese pomeloes to Malaysia. Taiwan-grown pomeloes are popular in domestic and overseas markets for their tender and juicy taste, the Ministry of Agriculture’s Animal and Plant Health Inspection Agency said. The fruit is already exported to Japan, Canada, Hong Kong, Singapore and the Philippines, it added. The agency began applying for access to the Malaysian market in 2023, compiling data on climate suitability, pests and diseases, and post-harvest handling, while also engaging in nearly two years of negotiations with Malaysian authorities and submitting supplementary
PEAK MONTHS: Data showed that on average 25 to 27 typhoons formed in the Pacific and South China seas annually, with about four forming per month in July and October One of three tropical depressions in the Pacific strengthened into a typhoon yesterday afternoon, while two others are expected to become typhoons by today, Central Weather Administration (CWA) forecaster Lee Ming-hsiang (李名翔) said yesterday. The outer circulation of Tropical Depression No. 20, now Typhoon Mitag, has brought light rain to Hualien, Taitung and areas in the south, Lee said, adding that as of 2pm yesterday, Mitag was moving west-northwest at 16kph, but is not expected to directly affect Taiwan. It was possible that Tropical Depression No. 21 would become a typhoon as soon as last night, he said. It was moving in a
One of two tropical depressions that formed offshore this morning could turn into a moderate typhoon by the weekend, the Central Weather Administration (CWA) said today. Tropical Depression No. 21 formed at 8am about 1,850km off the southeast coast, CWA forecaster Lee Meng-hsuan (李孟軒) said. It is expected to move in a northwesterly direction as it continues building momentum, possibly intensifying into Typhoon Mitag this weekend, she added. The radius of the storm is expected to reach almost 200km, she said. It is expected to approach southeast of Taiwan on Monday and pass through the Bashi Channel between Tuesday and Wednesday,
Tigerair Taiwan and China Airlines (CAL) today announced that several international flights were canceled or rescheduled due to Typhoon Ragasa. The Central Weather Administration (CWA) has maintained sea and land warnings for the typhoon. Its storm circle reached the Hengchun Peninsula (恆春半島) on Taiwan's southern tip at 11am today. Tigerair Taiwan said it canceled Monday's IT551/IT552 Taoyuan-Da Nang, IT606/IT607 Taoyuan-Busan and IT602 Taoyuan-Seoul Incheon flights. Tomorrow, cancelations include IT603 Seoul Incheon-Taoyuan, as well as flights between Taoyuan and Sapporo, Osaka, Tokyo Narita, Okinawa, Fukuoka, Saga, Tokyo Haneda, Nagoya, Asahikawa and Jeju. On Wednesday, the IT321/IT322 Kaohsiung-Macau round-trip would also be canceled. CAL announced that today's
RSS