The leadership of the National Women’s League (NWL) should be removed for the group’s failure to explain its handling of allegedly questionable assets worth NT$349.81 billion (US$11.51 billion) and government officials tasked with supervising the organization should be dismissed for being lenient, Democratic Progressive Party (DPP) legislators said yesterday.
Following a number of failed attempts to secure financial records from the league, the Ministry of the Interior on June 13 issued an ultimatum ordering the organization to turn over all financial records related to the assets by Wednesday, saying that failure to comply would incur penalties, such as the removal of its leadership, including chairwoman Cecilia Koo (辜嚴倬雲).
While the league delivered a set of documents late on Wednesday, just hours before the deadline lapsed, it apparently failed to clarify how the assets were used.
Photo: Fang Pin-chao. Taipei Times
The documents detail the construction history of military housing the league built with military surcharges it received, the ministry said yesterday, adding that it was still reviewing the documents to ascertain whether more data would be required.
From 1955 to 1989, taxes and surcharges totaling an estimated NT$24 billion — worth NT$349.81 billion today — were funneled to the league as charitable funds for military veterans, an Ill-gotten Parts Assets Settlement Committee investigation found.
As it is impossible to recover financial records from the era, the organization is willing to donate the majority of its assets to charity and subject itself to government oversight to appease public concern, ministry Department of Civil Affairs Director Lin Ching-chi (林清淇) quoted the league as saying.
The ministry is willing to further negotiate with the league on terms for the asset settlements, as the organization is apparently acting in good faith, Lin said.
However, lawmakers criticized the ministry’s apparently softened stance, demanding that the league’s leadership be removed.
DPP Legislator Chen Chi-mai (陳其邁) said the ministry made a total of 14 requests over the past year for the league’s financial records, but the organization ignored the requests, citing the unavailability of records.
The incomplete documents submitted on Wednesday are a stalling tactic, but the ministry, instead of toughening its stance, has become lenient, he added.
“The ministry should not buy the league’s excuse. Is this anything other than a cover-up?” Chen said. “The league has been procrastinating. Is it still living in the era of [former league chairwoman] Soong Mayling (宋美齡)?”
DPP Legislator Chao Tien-lin (趙天麟) said the league has failed to deliver on a promise to donate NT$16 billion to finance public long-term care services, compromising its latest donation proposal.
The league has to comply with laws on disclosing financial data and its actions have violated the principles of legal and transparent management, Chao said, calling on the ministry to impose disciplinary measures.
Chen and Chao called on Lin to resign if he will not remove the league’s leadership.
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