Facing continued accusations from the Democratic Progressive Party (DPP) legislators over donations made to his own foundations, Taipei Mayor Ma Ying-jeou (
"The foundations are not my private properties. They are welfare groups... I didn't make the donations to my house," Ma said when approached by reporters for comments about his donation record.
Among the NT$69 million (US$2.09 million) in donations Ma claimed to have made to public welfare groups over the past eight years, more than NT$47 million was used to establish two foundations -- the Dwen An Social Welfare Foundation and the New Taiwanese Cultural Foundation.
PHOTO: SEAN CHAO, TAIPEI TIMES
DPP legislators earlier questioned Ma for making such a large portion of his donations to his own foundations.
PUBLIC WELFARE
Defending his donations, Ma yesterday argued that both foundations were dedicated to welfare services, with the Dwen An Social Welfare Foundation counseling teenagers in order to prevent depression and the New Taiwanese Cultural Foundation devoting its efforts to promoting local culture.
"If that doesn't count as donations made to public welfare groups, what does?" Ma asked.
When asked whether he would make public his donation records today, the mayor declined to give an exact date.
"We are still sorting the information and the work has not finished yet, and so I don't have an exact date," Ma said.
He said that he might consider not publicizing the records and just giving the information to the prosecutors.
Taipei Deputy Mayor King Pu-tseng (
He would hold a press conference along with city government Secretariat Director Lee Sush-der(
King said Ma would not attend the press conference, as the case is under the investigation and the city government agreed that Ma should not discuss the matter.
The city government last night said it would make the records public tomorrow.
Ma recently made a donation of NT$16 million from his personal account to more than 11 groups. Those donations, added to the NT$5 million he donated during the past eight years, would equal the NT$16 million of his monthly mayoral special allowance that was not subject to accounting oversight, Ma said previously.
WANG SPEAKS UP
Legislative Speaker Wang Jin-pyng (
Wang made the remarks to reporters after receiving American Institute in Taiwan Director Stephen Young at the legislature.
Wang said that he and Young had discussed the long-stalled supplemental budget for the purchase of weapons from the US, next month's mayoral elections in Taipei and Kaohsiung and the allegations concerning Ma's special allowance fund.
Asked whether Young had pressed him to help pass the arms bill, Wang refused to comment.
"He just reminded us that we need to come up with a method to meet the demands of the nation's military forces," Wang said.
In related news, KMT Legislator Wu Den-yih (
SUCCESSION QUESTION
"I have no intention to take over the position and nobody has discussed my doing so," Wu told the press in response to a report in the Chinese-language Liberty Times (the Taipei Times' sister newspaper) yesterday.
The report said that Ma wanted to see either Wu or KMT Vice Chairman Kuan Chong (
Ma has previously said that he would resign his position as chairman if he is indicted.
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