An opposition legislator yesterday outlined a complex conspiracy involving the first lady, a fashion designer and the Grand Hotel, saying the Australian government would investigate the matter and prove fraudulent expenses had been recorded by the Presidential Office.
"This might become a diplomatic incident between the two countries," Chinese Nationalist Party (KMT) Legislator Chiu Yi (
Chiu Yi claims that first lady Wu Shu-jen (吳淑珍) used receipts she obtained issued by the Grand Hotel to Ligi Lee (李慧芬) -- an Australia-based fashion designer -- to mask her embezzlement of funds from the Presidential Office's special expenditure budget.
Chiu Yi said Ligi Lee had said the receipts totalled NT$3.36 million (US$102,220), and were given to Wu because Ligi Lee's cousin, Lee Bi-chun (
In a brief statement, the Presidential Office denied the accusation, saying only that the receipts were submitted by "a person" who acted as a "go-between" for the nation's de facto diplomatic mission in Australia, who received the receipts from Lee Bi-chun to seek reimbursement from the office.
The statement said that the "go-between" had been commissioned as part of an operation it called the "South Route Project," but it provided no details as to what the project was.
Chiu Yi said he doubted the authenticity of such a project, saying that it was merely a fiction made up by Tseng Tien-tsu (
Because of the Presidential Office's claims, Chiu Yi said, the Australian government was now set to investigate whether officials had accepted money from the office.
Chiu Yi said that Ross Maddock, secretary-general of the Australia-Taiwan Business Council, initially planned to come to Taiwan with Ligi Lee's ex-husband Chiu Ta-wei (
Meanwhile, Chiu Ta-wei returned to Taipei from Australia yesterday.
When confronted by reporters at CKS International Airport yesterday afternoon, Chiu Ta-wei said that he didn't know anything about what Chiu Yi and Ligi Lee had said.
"This is my country. I came back because I had to," he said when reporters asked him why he had returned.
Chiu Yi told the press on Saturday that Chiu Da-wei was returning at Tseng's request.
"Tseng asked Chiu Ta-wei to come back to Taiwan to explain to the media that he had been under orders to carry out the so-called `South Route Project.' And he [Chiu Ta-wei] will take the responsibility on himself for [Lee Bi-chun's] receipt matter," Chiu Yi said.
Chiu Yi quoted Ligi Lee as saying that she knew about her ex-husband's trip because a travel agency had mistakenly faxed his itinerary to her.
Ministry of Foreign Affairs Spokesman Michel Lu (呂慶龍) said that the ministry didn't have any information about an investigation by Australia into the "South Route Project," saying he hadn't had a chance to check with the Canberra government as of last night.
Temperatures in northern Taiwan are forecast to reach as high as 30°C today, as an ongoing northeasterly seasonal wind system weakens, the Central Weather Administration (CWA) said. CWA forecaster Tseng Chao-cheng (曾昭誠) said yesterday that with the seasonal wind system weakening, warmer easterly winds would boost the temperature today. Daytime temperatures in northern Taiwan and Yilan County are expected to range from 28°C to 30°C today, up about 3°C from yesterday, Tseng said. According to the CWA, temperature highs in central and southern Taiwan could stay stable. However, the weather is expected to turn cooler starting tonight as the northeasterly wind system strengthens again
Foreign travelers entering Taiwan on a short layover via Taiwan Taoyuan International Airport are receiving NT$600 gift vouchers from yesterday, the Tourism Administration said, adding that it hopes the incentive would boost tourism consumption at the airport. The program, which allows travelers holding non-Taiwan passports who enter the country during a layover of up to 24 hours to claim a voucher, aims to promote attractions at the airport, the agency said in a statement on Friday. To participate, travelers must sign up on the campaign Web site, the agency said. They can then present their passport and boarding pass for their connecting international
COOLING OFF: Temperatures are expected to fall to lows of about 20°C on Sunday and possibly 18°C to 19°C next week, following a wave of northeasterly winds on Friday The Central Weather Administration (CWA) on Sunday forecast more rain and cooler temperatures for northern Taiwan this week, with the mercury dropping to lows of 18°C, as another wave of northeasterly winds sweeps across the country. The current northeasterly winds would continue to affect Taiwan through today, with precipitation peaking today, bringing increased rainfall to windward areas, CWA forecaster Liu Pei-teng (劉沛滕) said. The weather system would weaken slightly tomorrow before another, stronger wave arrives on Friday, lasting into next week, Liu said. From yesterday to today, northern Taiwan can expect cool, wet weather, with lows of 22°C to 23°C in most areas,
Taiwan sweltered through its hottest October on record, the Central Weather Administration (CWA) said yesterday, the latest in a string of global temperature records. The main island endured its highest average temperature since 1950, CWA forecaster Liu Pei-teng said. Temperatures the world over have soared in recent years as human-induced climate change contributes to ever more erratic weather patterns. Taiwan’s average temperature was 27.381°C as of Thursday, Liu said. Liu said the average could slip 0.1°C by the end of yesterday, but it would still be higher than the previous record of 27.009°C in 2016. "The temperature only started lowering around Oct. 18 or 19
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