Chinese Nationalist Party (KMT) lawmakers yesterday accused Chiayi County Commissioner Helen Chang (張花冠) of abuse of public funds and resources to campaign for Democratic Progressive Party Chairperson Tsai Ing-wen (蔡英文) in the presidential election.
At a press conference, several KMT lawmakers displayed photographs to back up their allegations.
The photos, provided by Lee Kuo-sheng (李國勝), the KMT’s Chiayi council caucus whip, showed 84 boxes of Tsai campaign merchandise, including clothes, hats, glasses and T-shirts, in a storage room on the third floor of the county government building.
Lee said he made an unexpected inspection of the room after he was tipped off by an informant.
He added that he was not allowed to enter the room until he threatened to mobilize supporters and report the matter to police.
Chiayi County Councilor Yen Tsai Hsu-huei (顏蔡淑惠) of the KMT added that the county government also spent NT$90,000 on a Tsai campaign song.
KMT Legislator Wong Chung-chun (翁重鈞), who is seeking re-election against DPP legislative candidate Tsai Yi-yu (蔡易餘) in Chiayi County, said that the “Little Ing lunch boxes” used to raise campaign funds when Tsai held a campaign event on Oct. 7 in the county were prepared by staffers of the county government’s cafeteria.
Wong said the staffers started to work in the kitchen at 3pm that afternoon.
The KMT caucus said it had referred the case to the Control Yuan for investigation.
Following the KMT caucus’ press conference, Chang released a statement saying that it was “extremely inappropriate” that the campaign merchandise had been stored in the county government building.
Chang said she had already offered an apology when she was questioned by county councilors at a question-and-answer session earlier yesterday.
She said the problem occurred because some government employees lacked sufficient understanding of rules regarding administrative neutrality and that the concerned parties would be severely punished.
Chang said she has ordered that the items be removed and would refer the case to the county government’s ethics office for investigation.
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