Control Yuan President Wang Chien-shien kept a low profile yesterday on whether former National Security Council secretary-general Chiou I-jen (邱義仁) and former minister of foreign affairs James Huang (黃志芳) would be impeached over the Papua New Guinea diplomatic funds scandal.
When approached for comment, Wang said the Control Yuan had completed its probe into Chiou and Huang and the final report would be released in two weeks.
Wang declined to discuss the probe results, saying only that “those who did something wrong are supposed to be impeached.”
The Chinese-language China Times reported yesterday that Wang and Control Yuan member Tu Shan-liang (杜善良) would file a joint proposal to impeach Chiou, Huang and Huang’s aid Chang Chiang-sheng (張強生).
The scandal came to light in May last year when the Central News Agency reported that two brokers hired by the Ministry of Foreign Affairs had absconded with NT$1 billion (US$30 million) that was to be given to the Pacific island country if it cut diplomatic ties with China in favor of Taipei.
Huang has denied any direct involvement in the disappearance of the funds and said the ministry had been the victim of a con.
Huang and Chiou, who have admitted introducing one of the brokers to Huang, were forced to resign over the mishap.
One of the alleged con men is in custody, while the other is at large, reportedly in the US.
Wang has vowed to prioritize the probe into the scandal.
When asked whether it was appropriate for him to propose impeaching the former officials, Wang said: “Of course. The Control Yuan president is also a member of the Control Yuan.”
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