A government auditor yesterday lost his temper as legislators peppered him with questions implying that the government watchdog hadn't probed Taipei Mayor Ma Ying-jeou's (馬英九) special allowance expenditures in the same way it had with President Chen Shui-bian's (陳水扁) slush fund.
"If I tell the whole truth [about the auditing of Chen's slush fund], it will put you on the spot," Ministry of Audit spokesman Wang Yung-hsing (王永興) said to Democratic Progressive Party (DPP) Legislator Wang Shi-cheng (王世堅).
Wang Yung-hsiung made the remarks at a conference hosted by a group of DPP legislators to question audit officials over the criteria used to probe Chen's and Ma's handling of funds.
Auditors concluded that there may have been irregularities in Chen's slush fund, as the Presidential Office had refused to present them with all receipts for reimbursements from the fund for reasons of confidentiality. Ma, however, passed muster, with auditors saying that half of his special expenditures could be reimbursed without the need for receipts.
Wang Shi-cheng yesterday accused auditors of "turning a blind eye" to irregularities in Ma's expenditures.
"You should not indulge Ma," the legislator said.
"Don't mess with me just because you are a legislator. I don't accept your insult," Wang Yung-hsing told the legislator.
The allegation that Chen had embezzled money from the slush fund has been under investigation by prosecutors with the Black Gold Investigation Bureau.
DPP Legislator Yeh Yi-ching (
"Don't make remarks that leave room for people to speculate that the president has done something illegal," Yeh said to Wang Yung-hsing.
After the conference, the spokesman told DPP legislators and the media that his emotions had been "out of control" and that he wished he could be forgiven.
The Chinese military has built landing bridge ships designed to expand its amphibious options for a potential assault on Taiwan, but their combat effectiveness is limited due to their high vulnerability, a defense expert said in an analysis published on Monday. Shen Ming-shih (沈明室), a research fellow at the Institute for National Defense and Security Research, said that the deployment of such vessels as part of the Chinese People’s Liberation Army (PLA) Navy’s East Sea Fleet signals a strong focus on Taiwan. However, the ships are highly vulnerable to precision strikes, which means they could be destroyed before they achieve their intended
The Taiwan Experience Education Program (TEEP) has funded short-term internships in Taiwan for more than 4,500 young people from more than 40 countries since 2015, with the goal of attracting and retaining international talent, the Ministry of Education said yesterday. Fifty-five colleges launched 514 projects this year, including in fields such as semiconductors, artificial intelligence, medicine and biotechnology, green energy, and sustainability, it said. The program provides research and practical internships in Taiwan for two to six months, and offers cultural exchange and networking opportunities, the ministry said. For example, National Formosa University’s Embedded System and Autopilot Laboratory developed two solar-powered drones in
GLOBAL: Although Matsu has limited capacity for large numbers of domestic tourists, it would be a great high-end destination for international travelers, an official said Lienchiang County’s (Matsu) unique landscape and Cold War history give it great potential to be marketed as a destination for international travelers, Tourism Administration Director General Chen Yu-hsiu (陳玉秀) said at the weekend. Tourism officials traveled to the outlying island for the Matsu Biennial, an art festival that started on Friday to celebrate Matsu’s culture, history and landscape. Travelers to Matsu, which lies about 190km northwest of Taipei, must fly or take the state-run New Taima passenger ship. However, flights are often canceled during fog season from April to June. Chen spoke about her vision to promote Matsu as a tourist attraction in
Taipei resident Mu Chu-hua caught some glimpses of China’s mighty military parade on YouTube on Wednesday. As she watched hypersonic missiles roll down Beijing’s Changan Avenue and troops march in lockstep, she did not feel like they posed a threat to Taiwan. Mu, a 69-year-old retiree, said she saw the parade as simply a way for Chinese President Xi Jinping (習近平) to “say thank you to the troops.” “I thought it was quite normal,” she said. “It was very cool.” China’s military parade commemorating the end of World War II was being watched internationally for insights into Beijing’s military advances and its show
RSS