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Taiwan Quick Take: Ma dismisses accusation

Taipei Mayor Ma Ying-jeou (馬英九) yesterday dismissed an accusation by President Chen Shui-bian (陳水扁) that he was pocketing half of his special monthly mayoral allowance, and said Chen should not try to shift the focus away from charges that the first lady had embezzled money from a secret Presidential Office slush fund. In a discussion with Taiwanese reporters in Palau, Chen denied pocketing money from the secret slush fund, and said that Ma should rather explain how his special allowance was being spent. Ma said that, in accordance with a stipulation issued by the Directorate-General of Budget, Accounting and Statistics, half of the special allowance expenditures allotted to officials including himself, the vice president, the premier and local chiefs was remitted into their personal banks accounts. He added that the other half of his monthly allowance of NT$170,000 (US$5,188) went to public welfare.

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