Chinese Nationalist Party (KMT) Legislator Arthur Chen (陳宜民) yesterday said that he would require the Control Yuan and the Ministry of Justice to investigate the Council of Agriculture (COA), as it has yet to present reports about what he calls its “cyberarmy.”
Since 2017, the council has budgeted NT$11.6 million and NT$1.9 million (US$375,550 and US$61,513) for two projects to recruit online workers for policy promotion, but it actually funded Facebook groups to attack its opponents, which might contravene the Budget Act (預算法), Chen said.
This year, it is seeking NT$14.5 million for policy promotion, NT$958,000 for managing a system of public opinions and NT$980,000 for collecting public opinions, he said.
In two years, the council has budgeted more than NT$29 million for collecting online information, he said.
Despite his persistent requests for documentation since last week, the council has been reluctant to give him reports on the matter, Chen said, adding that it promised to present them on Friday, but failed to do so.
In comparison, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs submitted its documentation about online policy promotion projects to the Legislative Yuan one day after it was requested, he said.
If the council refuses to cooperate with lawmakers, he would ask the Control Yuan and the ministry’s Agency Against Corruption to investigate, Chen said.
Chen and another KMT lawmaker, Tseng Ming-chung (曾銘宗), on Thursday told a news conference that the council was inviting people to bid on projects to cultivate a cyberarmy.
COA Minister Chen Chi-chung (陳吉仲) later that day responded to their questions in a video on the council’s Facebook page.
Since last year, a great amount of misinformation has affected farmers and the agriculture sector, so the council has to step up countermeasures and offer correct information more quickly, Chen Chi-chung said, denying accusations that it is cultivating a cyberarmy to sway public opinion.
The council launched the bidding legally, and people interested in the jobs are encouraged to tender their applications, he said, reaffirming his resolve to combat misinformation.
Additional reporting by Lin Chia-nan
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