Taipei prosecutors yesterday brought in Taipei City Secretariat Director Yang Hsi-an (楊錫安) and several construction company officials for questioning, part of an ongoing investigation into a scandal surrounding the Xinsheng Overpass reconstruction project that threatens to undermine Mayor Hau Lung-bin’s (郝龍斌) bid for re-election next month.
Yang was questioned as a witness, prosecutors said, with the meeting wrapping up at around noon.
Earlier this month, investigators searched Yang’s office at the Taipei City Government and the Department of New Construction, prompting Hau to protest against what he called the negative impact prosecutors were having on his re-election campaign.
To date, Yang is the most senior Taipei City official to have been questioned in relation to the overpass scandal.
Aside from Yang, prosecutors also summoned officials from Kung Sing Engineering Corp, Evergreen Construction Corp and Hwang Chang General Contractor for questioning.
The investigation was launched last month after it was revealed that the city government’s floor price for the rejuvenation project went up from NT$1.62 billion (US$52.6 million) in the first round of bidding to NT$1.95 billion in the seventh round, raising speculation that city officials may have conspired with company officials.
Former New Construction Department director Huang Hsi-hsun (黃錫薰) and former section chief Chen Chih-sheng (陳智盛) have been detained for their alleged involvement in the matter.
Huang has told prosecutors that Hau had given him instructions to the effect that the tender had to be concluded at the seventh round of bidding.
Taiwan is to receive the first batch of Lockheed Martin F-16 Block 70 jets from the US late this month, a defense official said yesterday, after a year-long delay due to a logjam in US arms deliveries. Completing the NT$247.2 billion (US$7.69 billion) arms deal for 66 jets would make Taiwan the third nation in the world to receive factory-fresh advanced fighter jets of the same make and model, following Bahrain and Slovakia, the official said on condition of anonymity. F-16 Block 70/72 are newly manufactured F-16 jets built by Lockheed Martin to the standards of the F-16V upgrade package. Republic of China
Taiwan-Japan Travel Passes are available for use on public transit networks in the two countries, Taoyuan Metro Corp said yesterday, adding that discounts of up to 7 percent are available. Taoyuan Metro, the Taipei MRT and Japan’s Keisei Electric Railway teamed up to develop the pass. Taoyuan Metro operates the Taiwan Taoyuan International Airport MRT Line, while Keisei Electric Railway offers express services between Tokyo’s Narita Airport, and the Keisei Ueno and Nippori stations in the Japanese capital, as well as between Narita and Haneda airports. The basic package comprises one one-way ticket on the Taoyuan MRT Line and one Skyliner ticket on
A new tropical storm formed late yesterday near Guam and is to approach closest to Taiwan on Thursday, the Central Weather Administration (CWA) said. Tropical Storm Pulasan became the 14th named storm of the year at 9:25pm yesterday, the agency said. As of 8am today, it was near Guam traveling northwest at 21kph, it said. The storm’s structure is relatively loose and conditions for strengthening are limited, WeatherRisk analyst Wu Sheng-yu (吳聖宇) said on Facebook. Its path is likely to be similar to Typhoon Bebinca, which passed north of Taiwan over Japan’s Ryukyu Islands and made landfall in Shanghai this morning, he said. However, it
Starlux Airlines, Taiwan’s newest international carrier, has announced it would apply to join the Oneworld global airline alliance before the end of next year. In an investor conference on Monday, Starlux Airlines chief executive officer Glenn Chai (翟健華) said joining the alliance would help it access Taiwan. Chai said that if accepted, Starlux would work with other airlines in the alliance on flight schedules, passenger transits and frequent flyer programs. The Oneworld alliance has 13 members, including American Airlines, British Airways, Cathay Pacific and Qantas, and serves more than 900 destinations in 170 territories. Joining Oneworld would also help boost