The Ministry of Justice yesterday said it would begin a crackdown on businesses and individuals that drive up the prices of goods after Typhoon Morakot caused major damage to the south of the country.
Yesterday morning, Minister of Justice Wang Ching-feng (王清峰) met with the ministry’s three deputy ministers, State Prosecutor-General Chen Tsung-ming (陳聰明) and other top prosecutors and department heads to discuss ways to help the country recover from effects of the typhoon.
The ministry said it would mobilize all district prosecutors’ offices to make the processing of missing persons files and maintaining of death tolls a high priority, as well as instructing prosecutors and investigators to look into whether businesses or individuals had driven up the prices of goods or committed fraud by taking advantage of recovery efforts following the typhoon, Deputy Minister of Justice Huang Shih-ming (黃世銘) said.
The ministry said it would also investigate whether public officials were liable for substandard public construction projects that led to the erosion of foundations and destruction of bridges and roads, as well as probe for corruption that may have taken place.
Wang also encouraged ministry officials to participate in a “one-day donation” program, where ministry officials contribute a day’s salary to the relief efforts. The ministry estimated the program would be able to contribute about NT$35 million (US$1 million) to the relief effort.
The Association for Protection of Victims of Crime is to provide NT$6,000 a month for three months to each family member of victims of crime that have been affected by the typhoon. Victims in poverty or who are unable to work to support themselves may also apply to the association for more assistance.
Taiwan would benefit from more integrated military strategies and deployments if the US and its allies treat the East China Sea, the Taiwan Strait and the South China Sea as a “single theater of operations,” a Taiwanese military expert said yesterday. Shen Ming-shih (沈明室), a researcher at the Institute for National Defense and Security Research, said he made the assessment after two Japanese military experts warned of emerging threats from China based on a drill conducted this month by the Chinese People’s Liberation Army’s (PLA) Eastern Theater Command. Japan Institute for National Fundamentals researcher Maki Nakagawa said the drill differed from the
‘WORSE THAN COMMUNISTS’: President William Lai has cracked down on his political enemies and has attempted to exterminate all opposition forces, the chairman said The legislature would motion for a presidential recall after May 20, Chinese Nationalist Party (KMT) Chairman Eric Chu (朱立倫) said yesterday at a protest themed “against green communists and dictatorship” in Taipei. Taiwan is supposed to be a peaceful homeland where people are united, but President William Lai (賴清德) has been polarizing and tearing apart society since his inauguration, Chu said. Lai must show his commitment to his job, otherwise a referendum could be initiated to recall him, he said. Democracy means the rule of the people, not the rule of the Democratic Progressive Party (DPP), but Lai has failed to fulfill his
OFF-TARGET: More than 30,000 participants were expected to take part in the Games next month, but only 6,550 foreign and 19,400 Taiwanese athletes have registered Taipei city councilors yesterday blasted the organizers of next month’s World Masters Games over sudden timetable and venue changes, which they said have caused thousands of participants to back out of the international sporting event, among other organizational issues. They also cited visa delays and political interference by China as reasons many foreign athletes are requesting refunds for the event, to be held from May 17 to 30. Jointly organized by the Taipei and New Taipei City governments, the games have been rocked by numerous controversies since preparations began in 2020. Taipei City Councilor Lin Yen-feng (林延鳳) said yesterday that new measures by
A rally held by opposition parties yesterday demonstrates that Taiwan is a democratic country, President William Lai (賴清德) said yesterday, adding that if opposition parties really want to fight dictatorship, they should fight it on Tiananmen Square in Beijing. The Chinese Nationalist Party (KMT) held a protest with the theme “against green communists and dictatorship,” and was joined by the Taiwan People’s Party. Lai said the opposition parties are against what they called the “green communists,” but do not fight against the “Chinese communists,” adding that if they really want to fight dictatorship, they should go to the right place and face
RSS