Officials from the Tuntex Corporation (
In a statement released yesterday, Tuntex said due to its long-term business relationship with the KMT, the company had been willing to contribute money to the party.
The company then went on to appeal to all presidential candidates to tell the truth and return quickly to a campaign based on policy debate.
The statement follows claims made two days ago by a high-ranking government official that a business tycoon -- who he identified as being surnamed Chen -- had given a NT$100 million check to the KMT on June 10, 1991 to fund campaigning.
At that time, Soong served as the KMT's secretary-general. However, Chen refused to say whether he had given the money to Soong directly.
But the official, who was closely involved with the KMT's internal affairs, said the money had not been deposited in the KMT's public accounts, but instead was stashed in the account of Soong Chen-yuan at the Chung Hsing Bills Finance Corp (
When the first allegations in the mushrooming scandal were made public by KMT legislator at-large Yang Chi-hsiung (
Once the financial dealings were made public, members of Soong's campaign reportedly made private visits to Chen to ask him to be the "elder" that Soong had mentioned. But, the official said, when Chen realized that the donation had been transferred to Soong's son's account, the Tuntex president was too angry to play the role.
In addition to Chen, the official said, Soong also called on the son-in-law of the Shin Kong Corporation's (新光集團) Kuo Jui-sung (郭瑞嵩) -- who now serves as professor at Soochow University -- to ask for help, but that bid also failed.
Soong and Kuo had once been classmates, according to media reports.
Chief secretary to President Lee Teng-hui (
"Soong's secretary Yang Yun-tai (
Standing firm on his position, Su yesterday held a news conference urging Soong to apologize to both President Lee and the Taiwanese people.
Su said the media had exposed the fact that Chen might be the "elder" that Soong was looking for. This was proof Soong had concocted the entire story in a bid to cover his tracks, Su said.
"Having watched the development of events and heard Soong's statements regarding Chung Hsing Bills Finance, it proves that in order to get away from the money scandal, Soong cooked up the story by saying he acted under Lee's direction,'' Su said.
Soong, meanwhile, refused further comments yesterday. However, he has asked former National Chungshing University president Huang Tong-shong (
Huang said that if the KMT still refuses to accept the money, Soong would probably hand the money over to the courts instead. According to current regulations, Huang said, the money would automatically be delivered to the national treasury within 10 years.
KMT officials dismissed Soong's gesture yesterday as a mere "political show.''
"The action [referring to Soong's move to end the trust deal with the KMT] is meaningless. Since Lee never demanded Soong conduct any private work, there is need to end such an appointment,'' said KMT spokesman Huang Huei-chen (
DEFENSE: The first set of three NASAMS that were previously purchased is expected to be delivered by the end of this year and deployed near the capital, sources said Taiwan plans to procure 28 more sets of M-142 High Mobility Artillery Rocket Systems (HIMARS), as well as nine additional sets of National Advanced Surface-to-Air Missile Systems (NASAMS), military sources said yesterday. Taiwan had previously purchased 29 HIMARS launchers from the US and received the first 11 last year. Once the planned purchases are completed and delivered, Taiwan would have 57 sets of HIMARS. The army has also increased the number of MGM-140 Army Tactical Missile Systems (ATACMS) purchased from 64 to 84, the sources added. Each HIMARS launch pod can carry six Guided Multiple Launch Rocket Systems, capable of
TRAJECTORY: The severe tropical storm is predicted to be closest to Taiwan on Wednesday and Thursday, and would influence the nation to varying degrees, a forecaster said The Central Weather Administration (CWA) yesterday said it would likely issue a sea warning for Tropical Storm Podul tomorrow morning and a land warning that evening at the earliest. CWA forecaster Lin Ting-yi (林定宜) said the severe tropical storm is predicted to be closest to Taiwan on Wednesday and Thursday. As of 2pm yesterday, the storm was moving west at 21kph and packing sustained winds of 108kph and gusts of up to 136.8kph, the CWA said. Lin said that the tropical storm was about 1,710km east of Oluanpi (鵝鑾鼻), Taiwan’s southernmost tip, with two possible trajectories over the next one
Tropical Storm Podul strengthened into a typhoon at 8pm yesterday, the Central Weather Administration (CWA) said, with a sea warning to be issued late last night or early this morning. As of 8pm, the typhoon was 1,020km east of Oluanpi (鵝鑾鼻), Taiwan’s southernmost tip, moving west at 23kph. The storm carried maximum sustained winds of 119kph and gusts reaching 155kph, the CWA said. Based on the tropical storm’s trajectory, a land warning could be issued any time from midday today, it added. CWA forecaster Chang Chun-yao (張竣堯) said Podul is a fast-moving storm that is forecast to bring its heaviest rainfall and strongest
CRITICISM: It is deeply regrettable that China, which is pursuing nuclear weapons, has suppressed Taiwan, which is pursuing peace, a government official said Representative to Japan Lee Yi-yang (李逸洋) yesterday accused Beijing of interference after Taiwan’s official delegation to the Nagasaki Peace Memorial Ceremony in Japan was assigned seating in the “international non-governmental organizations [NGO]” area. “Taiwan is by no means an international NGO, but a sovereign nation that is active on the international stage,” Lee said. Lee and Chen Ming-chun (陳銘俊), head of the Taipei Economic and Cultural Office (TECO) in Fukuoka, attended the ceremony in Nagasaki yesterday, which marked the 80th anniversary of the atomic bombing of the city. That followed Lee’s attendance at the Hiroshima Peace Memorial Ceremony on Wednesday
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