Taiwan High Court Prosecutor General and convener of the "Black Gold Investigation Center" Lin Jie-der (林偕得) yesterday confirmed that prosecutors have issued the order for the arrest of arms dealer Andrew Wang (汪傳浦) on the charge of murdering former navy captain Yin Ching-feng (尹清楓).
Meanwhile, a PFP legislator made the sensational allegation that Minister of National Defense, Wu Shih-wen (
Andrew Wang was an agent of the Lafayette manufacturer, Thomson CSF, in Taiwan. He had allegedly offered a bribe of NT$9.5 million to former naval captain Kuo Li-heng (
Wang fled Taiwan a few days after Yin's death in December 1993, and is reported to be living in the US and holding a US passport.
"Wang is wanted for bribery and obtaining military secrets, and now a murder charge is added to the arrest order, " Lin said.
Wang has been under suspicion of involvement in Yin's murder. But prosecutors have been unable to get him back to Taiwan for questioning.
This month five former and incumbent naval officers have been detained on corruption charges for their alleged involvement in corruption surrounding the Lafayette frigate purchase.
Meanwhile, PFP Legislator Lee Ching-hua (
"A defense ministry internal investigative report on Yin's case was completed at the end of last year, and it shows that the military suspected Wu and Chin were involved." Lee said in a press conference yesterday at the Legislative Yuan.
The ministry, however, said it was opting not to respond to these accusations, because "the case is now sub judice."
It was disclosed by the media last week that the special investigative force investigating the Yin murder and related weapons purchase scandals is focusing on two incumbent high-ranking naval officers and, in order to protect the identity of the two, their names have been replaced for the investigation's internal purposes with code names with pronunciations similar to their actual names. One has been named "Wu Szu-chih" (吳思治) and the other "Ching Chih-ping" (荊治平).
At his press conference Lee Ching-hua announced "Wu Szu-chih' is Wu Shih-wen; Ching Chih-ping' is Chin Feng-hsiang."
Lee said that when Chin was the ordnance department chief of the naval General Headquarters in 1992 he visited an Italian arms company under the arrangement of arms dealers and was "entertained" by the Italian company, which produced 76mm guns.
Afterward, Lee said, Chin led the purchase of the Italian 76mm guns for the vessels. The price that Chin reported for the guns was US$3.4 million each, while Taiwan's military envoy in Singapore reported that the price Singapore paid for the exact same weapon from the same company was US$2.5 million each, Lee said.
Lee said that Chin actually controlled all purchases being dealt with by the naval weapons procurement office, of which Yin was the executive general.
"If Yin had been planning to reveal all purchase scandals in the Navy, `Wu' and `Ching' would have been badly affected. It's possible that Ching, in Wu's name, commanded someone to silence Yin and Yin was killed by mistake," Lee cited the alleged report from the defense ministry as saying.
He requested that Chin be suspended from his post and that Wu provide an explanation.
Tropical Storm Gaemi strengthened into a typhoon at 2pm yesterday, and could make landfall in Yilan County tomorrow, the Central Weather Administration (CWA) said yesterday. The agency was scheduled to issue a sea warning at 11:30pm yesterday, and could issue a land warning later today. Gaemi was moving north-northwest at 4kph, carrying maximum sustained winds near its center of up to 118.8kph and gusts of 154.8kph. The circumference is forecast to reach eastern Taiwan tomorrow morning, with the center making landfall in Yilan County later that night before departing from the north coast, CWA weather forecaster Kuan Shin-ping (官欣平) said yesterday. Uncertainty remains and
SEA WARNING LIKELY: The storm, named Gaemi, could become a moderate typhoon on Wednesday or Thursday, with the Taipei City Government preparing for flooding A tropical depression east of the Philippines developed into a tropical storm named Gaemi at 2pm yesterday, and was moving toward eastern Taiwan, the Central Weather Administration (CWA) said. Gaemi could begin to affect Taiwan proper on Tuesday, lasting until Friday, and could develop into a moderate typhoon on Wednesday or Thursday, it said. A sea warning for Gaemi could be issued as early as Tuesday morning, it added. Gaemi, the third tropical storm in the Pacific Ocean this typhoon season, is projected to begin moving northwest today, and be closest to Taiwan on Wednesday or Thursday, the agency said. Today, there would likely
DISRUPTIONS: The high-speed rail is to operate as normal, while several airlines either canceled flights or announced early departures or late arrivals Schools and offices in 15 cities and counties are to be closed today due to Typhoon Gaemi, local governments announced last night. The 15 are: Taipei, New Taipei City, Taoyuan, Tainan, Keelung, Hsinchu and Kaohsiung, as well as Yilan, Hualien, Hsinchu, Miaoli, Chiayi, Pingtung, Penghu and Lienchiang counties. People should brace for torrential rainfall brought by the storm, with its center forecast to make landfall on the east coast between tonight and tomorrow morning, the Central Weather Administration (CWA) said. The agency issued a sea warning for the typhoon at 11:30pm on Monday, followed by a land warning at 11:30am yesterday. As of
CASUALTY: A 70-year-old woman was killed by a falling tree in Kaohsiung as the premier warned all government agencies to remain on high alert for the next 24 hours Schools and offices nationwide are to be closed for a second day today as Typhoon Gaemi crosses over the nation, bringing torrential rain and whipping winds. Gaemi was forecast to make landfall late last night. From Tuesday night, its outer band brought substantial rainfall and strong winds to the nation. As of 6:15pm last night, the typhoon’s center was 20km southeast of Hualien County, Central Weather Administration (CWA) data showed. It was moving at 19kph and had a radius of 250km. As of 3pm yesterday, one woman had died, while 58 people were injured, the Central Emergency Operation Center said. The 70-year-old