Former president Chen Shui-bian (陳水扁) yesterday called on the Democratic Progressive Party’s integrity committee to launch a probe into the campaign finances of everyone who has run for public office under the DPP banner.
In a letter, Chen said the committee should not have double standards on the issue of campaign funding.
Last Thursday the committee said it would expel him from the party if he is found guilty of laundering leftover campaign funds.
Chen has admitted that his wife, Wu Shu-jen (吳淑珍), wired leftover campaign funds abroad, but has vehemently denied knowing until recently.
In his letter, Chen reiterated his claim that Wu made the transfers without his knowledge.
In addition, in the name of impartiality, the committee should examine the campaign finances of other DPP candidates.
The committee must treat everyone equally if the party is sincere about promoting clean politics, he said.
Chen rebutted claims that he had been uncooperative in the probe into the money-laundering allegations on Aug. 22 and Sept. 19, when the committee asked him to explain his actions.
Chen said he had responded to both inquiries and had explained the situation to the best of his ability.
“Due to the fact that I was not the person in charge of the matter, I was not familiar with the details, which therefore made it difficult for me to give substantive answers,” he wrote.
Committee chairman Chang Tien-chin (張天欽) declined to comment on Chen’s remarks, saying he was unable to comment before the committee had discussed the letter.
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
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