The Environmental Protection Administration (EPA) yesterday filed lawsuits against Democratic Progressive Party (DPP) spokesperson Tsai Chi-chang (蔡其昌) and former Government Information Office chief Cheng Wen-tsang (鄭文燦) for allegedly ignoring the EPA’s request to correct what it deemed “untruthful statements” about a controversy surrounding air pollution fees levied by Taiwan’s two oil refiners.
In February, the government had announced that CPC Corp, Taiwan (台灣中油) and Formosa Petrochemical Corp (台塑石化) had overcharged consumers by about NT$1.37 billion (US$42.6 million) last year in the name of air pollution fees — which worked out to be NT$240 per motorist.
Environmental Protection Administration Minister Stephen Shen (沈世宏) was quoted by the Chinese-language United Evening News on Feb. 25 as saying that the controversy over the air pollution fee stemmed from an error in the formula used to calculate changing oil prices, adding that the formula was created when Su Tseng-chang (蘇貞昌) was premier.
Su is now the DPP candidate for Taipei mayor.
The EPA said Tsai and Cheng’s reactions to Shen’s statement — published in the United Daily News and Apply Daily on Feb. 26 — had been inaccurate and defamatory.
“Freedom of speech is protected under the Constitution and the administration respects criticism and comments on government policies,” the EPA said in a statement. “However, their remarks should not contradict actual facts, nor should they use insulting remarks to defame government departments and civil servants. Politicians or political parties ... should be last to do so.”
Tsai was quoted as saying that Su had decided to freeze oil prices when global prices for crude were rising and he accused President Ma Ying-jeou’s (馬英九) administration of robbing people in the guise of air pollution fees. Tsai was also quoted as questioning why Shen had not changed the calculation formula if it was wrong.
“Was he sleeping the whole time?” the United Daily News quoted Tsai as asking before adding: “Shen passed the buck whenever he dealt with a problem. Such an irresponsible person should not be the EPA minister.”
The Apply Daily cited Cheng as saying the Chinese Nationalist Party (KMT) had been in power for two years, so it should bear responsibility for the problem and not blame the former DPP administration.
The EPA said the Control Yuan had investigated the pollution fee controversy and found that the EPA had respected the law. The Control Yuan report also said the Ministry of Economic Affairs had not informed the EPA of how oil prices were set.
The EPA notified Tsai and Cheng on May 6 of the results of the Control Yuan’s investigation, after the watchdog body had made its report public. On July 22, the EPA sent a request to both by registered mail, asking that they correct their statements. Neither responded to the request, the EPA said.
Its lawsuit only focuses on Tsai and Cheng’s “untrue” statements, the EPA said. Su and DPP Chairperson Tsai Ing-wen (蔡英文) should not let their party members off the hook if they do not admit they are wrong, the EPA said.
Tsai Chi-chang and Cheng -responded to news of the lawsuit by questioning its timing, given the nearness of the Nov. 27 special municipality elections.
Tsai Chi-chang said his February comments should be protected under freedom of speech, but added that Taiwan has descended into a state of “martial law” under Ma.
He said he would file a countersuit against Shen for “making false accusations.”
“My concerns ... at the time were supported by evidence,” he said. “Even KMT lawmakers raised questions about whether the EPA had enough checks in place.”
Cheng, who is working on Tsai Ing-wen’s campaign for Sinbei City mayor, said he did not see what the problem was with his February comments.
ADDITIONAL REPORTING BY VINCENT Y. CHAO AND STAFF WRITER
CHAOS: Iranians took to the streets playing celebratory music after reports of Khamenei’s death on Saturday, while mourners also gathered in Tehran yesterday Iranian Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei was killed in a major attack on Iran launched by Israel and the US, throwing the future of the Islamic republic into doubt and raising the risk of regional instability. Iranian state television and the state-run IRNA news agency announced the 86-year-old’s death early yesterday. US President Donald Trump said it gave Iranians their “greatest chance” to “take back” their country. The announcements came after a joint US and Israeli aerial bombardment that targeted Iranian military and governmental sites. Trump said the “heavy and pinpoint bombing” would continue through the week or as long
TRUST: The KMT said it respected the US’ timing and considerations, and hoped it would continue to honor its commitments to helping Taiwan bolster its defenses and deterrence US President Donald Trump is delaying a multibillion-dollar arms sale to Taiwan to ensure his visit to Beijing is successful, a New York Times report said. The weapons sales package has stalled in the US Department of State, the report said, citing US officials it did not identify. The White House has told agencies not to push forward ahead of Trump’s meeting with Chinese President Xi Jinping (習近平), it said. The two last month held a phone call to discuss trade and geopolitical flashpoints ahead of the summit. Xi raised the Taiwan issue and urged the US to handle arms sales to
State-run CPC Corp, Taiwan (CPC, 台灣中油) yesterday said that it had confirmed on Saturday night with its liquefied natural gas (LNG) and crude oil suppliers that shipments are proceeding as scheduled and that domestic supplies remain unaffected. The CPC yesterday announced the gasoline and diesel prices will rise by NT$0.2 and NT$0.4 per liter, respectively, starting Monday, citing Middle East tensions and blizzards in the eastern United States. CPC also iterated it has been reducing the proportion of crude oil imports from the Middle East and diversifying its supply sources in the past few years in response to geopolitical risks, expanding
Pro-democracy media tycoon Jimmy Lai’s (黎智英) fraud conviction and prison sentence were yesterday overturned by a Hong Kong court, in a surprise legal decision that comes soon after Lai was jailed for 20 years on a separate national security charge. Judges Jeremy Poon (潘兆初), Anthea Pang (彭寶琴) and Derek Pang (彭偉昌) said in the judgement that they allowed the appeal from Lai, and another defendant in the case, to proceed, as a lower court judge had “erred.” “The Court of Appeal gave them leave to appeal against their conviction, allowed their appeals, quashed the convictions and set aside the sentences,” the judges
RSS