Democratic Progressive Party (DPP) Legislator Wang Ding-yu (王定宇) yesterday accused former Presidential Office deputy secretary-general Hsiung Kuang-hua (熊光華) and former Executive Yuan secretary-general Chien Tai-lang (簡太郎) of serving as intermediaries for financially troubled Ching Fu Shipbuilding Co.
The shipbuilder has been embroiled in a fraud scandal over a contract that it won from the Ministry of National Defense in October 2014 to build six minesweepers for the military at a cost of NT$34.9 billion (US$1.16 billion at the current exchange rate).
To finance the construction, Ching Fu obtained a syndicated loan of NT$20.5 billion from a group of nine domestic lenders led by First Commercial Bank.
Photo: CNA
However, an investigation initiated by prosecutors in August found that Ching Fu might have used bogus documents to falsify four capital increases that were required as part of the terms of the loan.
The controversy has seen DPP and Chinese Nationalist Party (KMT) lawmakers trading barbs over who used their influence to help Ching Fu obtain the syndicated loan, of which NT$15.4 billion had already been disbursed.
Hsiung and Chien served under the administration of then-president Ma Ying-jeou (馬英九).
Wang called for an investigation into Ma and then-vice president Wu Den-yih (吳敦義), now the KMT chairman.
He said that either Ma or Wu must have given the order and prosecutors should summon the two for questioning.
Wang claimed that on Dec. 14, 2015, Hsiung called Chien and then-Bank of Taiwan president Shiau Chang-ruey (蕭長瑞) to the Presidential Office Building for a meeting and instructed the two to apply pressure on banks and other government agencies to facilitate the loan.
Shiau allegedly called a person at the Bank of Taiwan handling loans, after which the bank, which previously said it would not participate in the syndicated loan, announced that it would extend a loan of NT$1billion to Ching Fu.
Wang quoted the person at the bank as allegedly saying: “The president wants it done.”
Hsiung called the allegations “baseless accusations.”
Hsiung said he did meet with Shiau to discuss a petition by the family of former president Yan Chia-kan (嚴家淦) to restore Yan’s official residence, which the bank owns.
Hsiung said that Ministry of Culture Cultural Heritage Bureau Director-General Shy Gwo-lung (施國隆) was present at the discussion.
Additional reporting by Shih Hsiao-kuang and CNA
The Sports Administration yesterday demanded an apology from the national table tennis association for barring 17-year-old Yeh Yi-tian (葉伊恬) from competing in the upcoming World Table Tennis (WTT) United States Smash tournament in Las Vegas this July. The sports agency said in a statement that the Chinese Taipei Table Tennis Association (CTTTA) must explain to the public why it withdrew Yeh from the WTT tournament in Las Vegas. The sports agency said it contacted the association to express its disapproval of the decision-making process after receiving a complaint from Yeh’s coach, Chuang
Taipei has once again made it to the top 100 in Oxford Economics’ Global Cities Index 2025 report, moving up five places from last year to 60. The annual index, which was published last month, evaluated 1,000 of the most populated metropolises based on five indices — economics, human capital, quality of life, environment and governance. New York maintained its top spot this year, placing first in the economics index thanks to the strength of its vibrant financial industry and economic stability. Taipei ranked 263rd in economics, 44th in human capital, 15th in quality of life, 284th for environment and 75th in governance,
The Hualien Branch of the High Court today sentenced the main suspect in the 2021 fatal derailment of the Taroko Express to 12 years and six months in jail in the second trial of the suspect for his role in Taiwan’s deadliest train crash. Lee Yi-hsiang (李義祥), the driver of a crane truck that fell onto the tracks and which the the Taiwan Railways Administration's (TRA) train crashed into in an accident that killed 49 people and injured 200, was sentenced to seven years and 10 months in the first trial by the Hualien District Court in 2022. Hoa Van Hao, a
Control Yuan Secretary-General Lee Chun-yi (李俊俋) tendered his resignation last night, admitting that he had misused a government vehicle, as reported by media. His resignation was immediately accepted by the Control Yuan. In a statement explaining why he had resigned, Lee apologized for using a Control Yuan vehicle to transport his dog to a pet grooming salon on May 20. The issue first came to light late last month, when TVBS News reported that Lee had instructed his driver to take the dog to the salon. The news channel broadcast photos that it said were taken by an unnamed whistle-blower, which purportedly showed the
RSS