Chinese Nationalist Party (KMT) lawmakers yesterday demanded Frank Hsieh (
The call came after Chung Shan-tun (
"Frank Hsieh has to take responsibility for the scandal, as the three people used to have close relationships with him," KMT Legislator Lee Chuan-chiao (李全教) told a press conference.
Lee said Wu was appointed by Hsieh, when he was Kaohsiung mayor, as director of Kaohsiung City's Bureau of Urban Development and Chang was the chair of the New Culture Foundation, which was established by Hsieh.
Hsieh was also accused of being involved in the scandal by KMT Legislator Chiu Yi (
Chiu added that he had a document showing that it was Hsieh's idea to designate Chung and Wu as official representatives of the commission that conducted the six public bids.
Later yesterday, Hsieh denied the accusation, saying that he was not implicated in the scandal and he is happy to be investigated to prove his innocence.
Kaohsiung prosecutors yesterday declined to confirm media reports saying the investigation of the Kaohsiung Rapid Transit Corp (KRTC) scandal has made a breakthrough, with Wu and Chung admitting that they accepted bribes from a construction firm working on the city's MRT.
Prosecutor Wang Chun-li (
Meanwhile, in related news, the KMT's candidate for Taipei mayor, Hau Lung-bin (郝龍斌) was called into question yesterday by DPP Legislator Yu Jan-daw (余政道) over an integrity issue.
Yu said Hau's father, former premier Hau Pei-tsun (郝柏村), used the illegal preferential treatment for retired premiers to pay his relatives' utility bills.
The government announced in late August that it would cancel such preferential treatment without legal basis -- including limousines, chauffeurs, free water, electricity and telephone services.
"In September 2005, Hau Pei-tsun was reimbursed NT$48,128 for his electricity from the government. We found out that this huge sum included his relatives' bills," Yu said.
Yu demanded Hau Lung-bin should return all the illicit money his father had received from the government for about 13 years.
Hau Lung-bin refuted the charge and said that he would file a lawsuit to seek retribution.
Taiwan is to receive the first batch of Lockheed Martin F-16 Block 70 jets from the US late this month, a defense official said yesterday, after a year-long delay due to a logjam in US arms deliveries. Completing the NT$247.2 billion (US$7.69 billion) arms deal for 66 jets would make Taiwan the third nation in the world to receive factory-fresh advanced fighter jets of the same make and model, following Bahrain and Slovakia, the official said on condition of anonymity. F-16 Block 70/72 are newly manufactured F-16 jets built by Lockheed Martin to the standards of the F-16V upgrade package. Republic of China
Taiwan-Japan Travel Passes are available for use on public transit networks in the two countries, Taoyuan Metro Corp said yesterday, adding that discounts of up to 7 percent are available. Taoyuan Metro, the Taipei MRT and Japan’s Keisei Electric Railway teamed up to develop the pass. Taoyuan Metro operates the Taiwan Taoyuan International Airport MRT Line, while Keisei Electric Railway offers express services between Tokyo’s Narita Airport, and the Keisei Ueno and Nippori stations in the Japanese capital, as well as between Narita and Haneda airports. The basic package comprises one one-way ticket on the Taoyuan MRT Line and one Skyliner ticket on
Starlux Airlines, Taiwan’s newest international carrier, has announced it would apply to join the Oneworld global airline alliance before the end of next year. In an investor conference on Monday, Starlux Airlines chief executive officer Glenn Chai (翟健華) said joining the alliance would help it access Taiwan. Chai said that if accepted, Starlux would work with other airlines in the alliance on flight schedules, passenger transits and frequent flyer programs. The Oneworld alliance has 13 members, including American Airlines, British Airways, Cathay Pacific and Qantas, and serves more than 900 destinations in 170 territories. Joining Oneworld would also help boost
A new tropical storm formed late yesterday near Guam and is to approach closest to Taiwan on Thursday, the Central Weather Administration (CWA) said. Tropical Storm Pulasan became the 14th named storm of the year at 9:25pm yesterday, the agency said. As of 8am today, it was near Guam traveling northwest at 21kph, it said. The storm’s structure is relatively loose and conditions for strengthening are limited, WeatherRisk analyst Wu Sheng-yu (吳聖宇) said on Facebook. Its path is likely to be similar to Typhoon Bebinca, which passed north of Taiwan over Japan’s Ryukyu Islands and made landfall in Shanghai this morning, he said. However, it