Civil Aeronautics Administration (CAA) Director-General Lee Long-wen (李龍文) stepped down yesterday, one day after the Taoyuan International Airport central control center staffers were accused by a lawmaker of lax behavior.
Premier Wu Den-yih (吳敦義) told the press on his way to attending an event yesterday that Lee had wanted to leave the post because of “health reasons.”
Wu said outgoing Taoyuan Aviation Office director Shiau Deng-ke (蕭登科) was given a demerit “because of a series of inappropriate incidents that have taken place at the Taoyuan International Airport.”
Wu did not elaborate on what he meant by inappropriate incidents, but the reshuffle came right after Chinese Nationalist Party (KMT) Legislator Lo Shu-lei (羅淑蕾) on Tuesday accused staff of drinking alcohol and having a feast while on duty.
Later yesterday, the Ministry of Transportation and Communications announced Department of Aviation and Navigation director general Ying Cheng-pong (尹承篷) would fill Lee’s post.
When asked about the seeming coincidence of Lee’s resignation and Lo’s allegations, Deputy Minister of Transportation and Communications Yeh Kuang-shih (葉匡時) said he had no motive to lie about Lee’s health.
“He [Lee] checked into the hospital for a medical examination on Sunday,” Yeh said. “He then briefed the minister about his health, which was not very positive. Since then, the minister and I have been considering potential candidates to replace him.”
When questioned about Ying’s lack of experience in civil aviation, Yeh said he hoped the passage of the Act Governing the Total Number of Civil Servants Employed by Central Government Agencies (中央政府機關總員額法) should help the ministry recruit more qualified individuals.
As the new Taoyuan Aviation Office director, Wei Sheng-chih (魏勝之) will not assume the post until Friday next week. Yeh said both he and another deputy minister of Transportation and Communications, Chang Chiu chuen (張邱春), would be stationed at the Taoyuan International Airport and supervise its operation during the transitional period.
Meanwhile, the Taoyuan Aviation Office’s performance review committee ruled yesterday that Lee Chien-ming (李鑑敏), supervisor of the Taoyuan Airport Terminal Control Center, received a major demerit for “severely damaging the image of civil servants with his inappropriate conduct.”
Lee’s immediate superior, Huang Chi-ming (黃啟明), received only a warning, because he only took up the post last month. Both Lee and Huang were transferred to other positions.
At a separate setting yesterday, Lo said Lee was not the only one responsible for the incidents, adding that Minister of Transportation and Communications Mao Chih-kuo (毛治國) should also be held responsible.
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