Chinese Nationalist Party (KMT) Legislator Wu Yu-sheng (吳育昇) must explain how he disposed of NT$6 million (US$186,000) in leftover campaign funds from last year’s legislative race, the Democratic Progressive Party (DPP) said yesterday, accusing Wu of indirectly pocketing the money by donating the sum to his own foundation.
The DPP made the remarks after a report in the Chinese-language Liberty Times (the Taipei Times’ sister newspaper) yesterday cited Control Yuan data that said Wu donated the funds to the foundation in May last year.
The story quoted an anonymous Control Yuan official as saying that although Wu did not violate the Political Donation Act (政治獻金法), the donation could still be controversial.
The official said Wu might be dodging the act’s requirement that candidates report every detail of how they spent political donations to the Control Yuan.
The funds were allegedly donated to the “Alliance to Protect Taiwan and the Land and to Oppose Corruption,” where Wu serves as chairman.
DPP Spokesman Tsai Chi-chang (蔡其昌) told a press conference yesterday that the law requires all political donations be monitored by the Control Yuan. By donating the money to his own foundation, Wu could easily dodge government supervision, the DPP said.
Accusing President Ma Ying-jeou (馬英九) of setting a bad example, Tsai said Ma had also donated his leftover election funds to a foundation that he heads.
“We urge the prosecutors and the Control Yuan to probe the matter as soon as possible so the public can know clearly how the money was used,” Tsai said.
At a separate setting yesterday, Wu Yu-sheng (吳育昇) defended the donation.
Wu told reporters that there was nothing unethical or illegal about the donation given to the foundation.
He said he had reported every detail about his campaign funds to the Control Yuan as required by law.
The alliance was established by KMT Tainan City Councilor Hsieh Lung-chie (謝龍介), Taipei County Councilor Chen Ming-yi (陳明義) and Wu in August 2007 to monitor the then-DPP administration.
Wu said that as chairman of the alliance, he was obliged to bridge the NT$6 million deficit the alliance faced after the KMT’s presidential campaign last year. Wu said that Hsieh, who serves as vice chairman of the alliance, also donated NT$1 million to help the alliance with its financial difficulties.
Wu recently made headlines when he confessed to having an extramarital affair with a music teacher. Earlier this year, he proposed changing 228 Memorial Day to a commemorative day instead of a holiday, spurring objections from pan-green supporters.
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