Minister of National Defense Chen Chao-min (陳肇敏) yesterday promised to crack down on false accusations after his wife was the object of an alleged blackmail attempt.
The threat came after the minister’s wife was alleged to have received a pearl necklace from a general as a bribe.
“My wife and I never accepted any form of gift for any reason. I am open to any kind of investigation, as long as there is proof to back up the complaint,” Chen said.
Chen made the remarks in response to a story in yesterday’s China Times, which reported that an unnamed member of the military had sought to blackmail Chen’s wife by alleging that she had accepted a pearl necklace from a general as a bribe last fall. Chen did not report the pearl necklace as part of his wife’s and his personal possessions when reporting his personal wealth to the Control Yuan.
Chen said that in addition to refusing all kinds of gifts from fellow military personnel, he had begun to decline visits from military officers at his residence since he became Air Force commander-in-chief.
Also, his wife never participated in any social activities, he said.
“Being clean is my family motto, and I am proud of myself for being so throughout my military career,” Chen said.
The minister said that while blackmail had become common in the military, he personally hated any kind of anonymous allegations or accusations.
“This is so irresponsible,” he said. “This situation is not fair at all. How am I supposed to clear my name?”
The minister said that he welcomed any complaints, allegations or accusations that were backed by proof, even if he himself was the target, but he would file a libel or slander suit against the accuser if the allegation turned out to be false.
“I understand that I have irritated lots of people because of my resistance to corruption, because I crack down on all kinds of bribery as much as possible. I cannot do anything about being hated,” Chen said.
Regarding the prevalence of blackmail in the military, Chen said that investigations would be only launched when complaints were accompanied by proof.
“It would be a waste of resources if we go through every blackmail case,” he said.
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