The Chinese Nationalist Party (KMT) caucus filed a lawsuit yesterday against Premier Chang Chun-hsiung (張俊雄) and two Cabinet ministers for disciplining members of the National Communications Commission (NCC).
On Wednesday, the Cabinet suspended the commission's approval of the Broadcasting Corp of China's (BBC) application to transfer its shares to companies allegedly owned by former UFO Radio chairman Jaw Shaw-kong (趙少康). It also referred five commission members to the judiciary.
The decision was taken at a Cabinet meeting chaired by Minister without Portfolio Hsu Chih-hsiung (許志雄).
"We are here to charge Premier Chang Chung-hsiung, Government Information Office Minister Shieh Jhy-wey (
The KMT complaint says the Cabinet's overruling of the commission cast doubt on the NCC's ability to impartially enforce the law.
The KMT also accused the Cabinet of slander because Shieh and Hsu Chih-hsiung said the party's assets were "stolen."
Hsu Shao-ping said the premier was included in the complaint because he had not tried to clarify the "inappropriate" remarks made by Shieh and Hsu Chih-hsiung.
Last Tuesday the commission approved the BCC's application to transfer its shares and to name Jaw its board chairman. However, the Cabinet considered the deal illegal as the four companies buying the shares and four other firms claiming to be shareholders of one of the original four were all "front companies" owned by Jaw.
On Wednesday Hsu Chih-hsiung said the deal violated the Broadcasting and Television Law (廣播電視法) because although the BCC sold its shares to the four firms, Jaw owned all four. By law an individual is not allowed to hold more than 10 percent of a radio station's shares.
Shieh responded to news of the lawsuit by saying he had simply told the truth.
"I would be more than happy to take part in a face-to-face question-and-answer session so everyone will know who is right and who is wrong," he told a press conference at the Government Information Office. "I have nothing to hide."
"Facts will prove me right ... I will take full responsibility for what I said because what I said was the truth. If I made any mistake, I will apologize immediately," he said.
Yesterday's lawsuit was the second against Shieh and Hsu Chih-hsiung this week in connection with the NCC and the BCC.
Jaw sued the pair for slander on Wednesday for alleging that he spent between NT$600 million (US$18.3 million) and NT$700 million buying the BCC. He said he had spent several times that amount and that the firms that bought the BCC shares were all real.
Shieh said the government would welcome proof that Jaw does not own all four companies: "If he can prove us wrong, of course, we will apologize and immediately approve the deal. He will still be the head of the station."
NATIONAL SECURITY: The Chinese influencer shared multiple videos on social media in which she claimed Taiwan is a part of China and supported its annexation Freedom of speech does not allow comments by Chinese residents in Taiwan that compromise national security or social stability, the nation’s top officials said yesterday, after the National Immigration Agency (NIA) revoked the residency permit of a Chinese influencer who published videos advocating China annexing Taiwan by force. Taiwan welcomes all foreigners to settle here and make families so long as they “love the land and people of Taiwan,” Premier Cho Jung-tai (卓榮泰) told lawmakers during a plenary session at the Legislative Yuan in Taipei. The public power of the government must be asserted when necessary and the Ministry of
CROSSED A LINE: While entertainers working in China have made pro-China statements before, this time it seriously affected the nation’s security and interests, a source said The Mainland Affairs Council (MAC) late on Saturday night condemned the comments of Taiwanese entertainers who reposted Chinese statements denigrating Taiwan’s sovereignty. The nation’s cross-strait affairs authority issued the statement after several Taiwanese entertainers, including Patty Hou (侯佩岑), Ouyang Nana (歐陽娜娜) and Michelle Chen (陳妍希), on Friday and Saturday shared on their respective Sina Weibo (微博) accounts a post by state broadcaster China Central Television. The post showed an image of a map of Taiwan along with the five stars of the Chinese flag, and the message: “Taiwan is never a country. It never was and never will be.” The post followed remarks
Proposed amendments would forbid the use of all personal electronic devices during school hours in high schools and below, starting from the next school year in August, the Ministry of Education said on Monday. The Regulations on the Use of Mobile Devices at Educational Facilities up to High Schools (高級中等以下學校校園行動載具使用原則) state that mobile devices — defined as mobile phones, laptops, tablets, smartwatches or other wearables — should be turned off at school. The changes would stipulate that use of such devices during class is forbidden, and the devices should be handed to a teacher or the school for safekeeping. The amendments also say
CONSISTENT COMMITMENT: The American Institute in Taiwan director said that the US would expand investment and trade relationships to make both nations more prosperous The US would not abandon its commitment to Taiwan, and would make Taiwan safer, stronger and more prosperous, American Institute in Taiwan Director Raymond Greene said. “The US’ commitment to Taiwan has been consistent over many administrations and over many years, and we will not abandon our commitment to Taiwan, including our opposition to any attempt to use force or coercion to change Taiwan’s status,” he said in an exclusive interview with the Liberty Times (the sister newspaper of the Taipei Times) on Friday last week, which was published in the Chinese-language newspaper yesterday. The US would double down on its efforts
RSS