Former National Security Council secretary-general King Pu-tsung (金溥聰) on Monday said he has been judged by the double standards of his critics, while other opposition figures have remained unscathed after committing infractions.
During a radio show interview, King, long one of President Ma Ying-jeou’s (馬英九) closest confidants, said he had behaved ethically throughout his political career, while listing a number of infractions by other figures.
During a private visit to Japan with his family last week, a number of reports claimed that King had been on a secret mission on behalf of Ma, while some political talk show guests said that he was fleeing Taiwan.
King said on Wednesday last week that the allegations were unfounded.
In the interview on Monday, he cited the behavior of Democratic Progressive Party (DPP) Legislator Chiu Yi-ying (邱議瑩) — who kicked and damaged the door of then-minister of justice Tseng Yung-fu (曾勇夫) in 2013 — as an example.
“Would a regular civilian who had committed the same destruction of public property be spared the legal consequences?” King asked.
He also speculated on suspected irregularities by Peng Wen-cheng (彭文正), an outspoken political talk show host who King said might be violating Ministry of Education guidelines, because he is also a university professor.
King said he too doubled as a radio show host during a stint teaching at a university, but had to give up the secondary commitment because of criticism.
King questioned whether Peng is in a position to launch allegations of abuse of privilege and suggested that the talk show host apply the same lofty standards to himself as he does to others.
There have also been instances where elected officials have abused the privileges of their positions to void traffic tickets issued to their supporters, King said.
“Our society is growing absurd,” said King, who believes that history will prove his accusations right.
King said that while shedding light on corruption is a vital step in Taiwan’s democratic progress, allegations must be backed by evidence, which none of his detractors have produced.
Without evidence, these unfounded allegations will only fuel discord and upheaval, he said.
Asked whether he would write a tell-all memoir, King said he will wait until Ma has stepped down.
DPP Legislator Tuan Yi-kang (段宜康) on Monday afternoon admitted that he is the elected official mentioned by King who had voided traffic tickets.
The incident took place about 15 or 16 years ago, when he was a member of the Taipei City Council. Tuan said he had been reprimanded and apologized for the incident at the time.
The incident is also part of the reason why he has been riding a scooter to get around instead of driving a car over the past decade, he said.
Chiu remained defiant in the face of King’s criticism.
“The reason why the case against me was dropped is because the government did not dare to go to court to fight for its case,” she said in a post on her Facebook page.
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