Former vice president Wu Den-yih (吳敦義), who is running for the Chinese Nationalist Party (KMT) chairmanship, yesterday sought to assuage allegations of bribery against him by staking his political career on his innocence, pledging to bow out of politics if he is found guilty.
Wu made the remarks on the sidelines of a news conference in Taipei for the launch of a social media account, again denying allegations by former KMT vice chairman Steve Chan (詹啟賢), who is also running for chairman, that KMT chairperson and representative candidates have offered money or banquets in exchange for votes.
“I have absolutely nothing to do with the alleged bribery. I loathe vote-buying and would never stoop so low as to do it myself. I have never even offered banquets,” Wu said, adding that he is willing to exhaust his wealth in treating people to banquets if he is found to have done anything illegal.
Photo: Wang Yi-song, Taipei Times
Wu said there is a reason he has never been accused of corruption, illegal encroachment of private properties, or benefiting certain corporations throughout his 40-year political career.
It is impossible to do anything without leaving a trace, Wu said, vowing to quit politics if found guilty of any transgressions.
Chan on Friday said that vote buying, quid pro quo deals and banquets have been offered to woo supporters in the run-up to next year’s elections.
The claims attracted strong reactions from Wu’s camp, with the former president saying Chan’s unsubstantiated remarks would be detrimental to the KMT and the reputations of all the other candidates.
Six other chairperson candidates and KMT Vice Chairman Hau Lung-bin (郝龍斌) on Sunday offered whistle-blowers NT$200,000 cash rewards to report any election irregularities.
The accusation is the latest in a series of controversies overshadowing the KMT’s leadership race. The recruitment of new party members with suspected criminal backgrounds and so-called “dummy members,” which refers to people whose information is used by others to apply for party membership without their knowledge, have also plagued the campaign.
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