The Democratic Progressive Party (DPP) yesterday accused the government of giving preferential treatment to former
Ting Hsin Oil and Fat Industrial Co (頂新製油實業) and Cheng I Food Co (正義股份) chairman Wei Ying-chun (魏應充) in several food scandals involving his firms, since Wei has been a “faithful supporter” of President Ma Ying-jeou (馬英九).
Amid the latest tainted oil crisis involving Cheng I, a subsidiary of the Ting Hsin International Group (頂新集團), many of the businesses involved have been searched, while managers of several companies, including Ting Hsin, have been detained. Yet, so far, Wei has been left out of investigations.
“When investigating tainted cooking oil cases in the past, the prosecutor in charge was quick to apply for detention of Chang Chi Foodstuff Factory Co (大統長基食品公司) chairman Kao Cheng-li (高振利) and Chang Guann Co (長冠企業) chairman Yeh Wen-hsiang (葉文祥) to prevent them from colluding on testimony and destroying evidence,” DPP spokesperson Huang Di-ying (黃帝穎) said yesterday. “However, the prosecutor has yet to call for Wei’s detention.”
“We therefore question if it is because Wei has served as the vice chairman of a business leaders’ support group for Ma during his presidential campaign and has good connections to the government,” Huang said.
Huang said that during the 2012 presidential election, Wei attended meetings by business leaders to voice their support for Ma and was handed an official certificate by Ma appointing him to serve as vice chairman of the National Business and Industrial Leaders’ Support Group for Ma Ying-jeou.
“This shows that Wei may have a better relationship with Ma than Kao and Yeh,” Huang said. “However in a democracy with rule of law, prosecutors should treat all cases the same way, they should not investigate cases selectively or detain people selectively.”
In related news, Huang rejected a message circulating online that accused the DPP of blocking revisions to the Act Governing Food Safety and Sanitation (食品衛生安全管理法) with a legislative vote on Nov. 22 last year.
“The voting was actually on the meeting agenda, not on amendments to the law,” Huang said.
“In fact, at the time, the DPP was voting ‘no’ to a Chinese Nationalist Party (KMT) proposal to list amendments to the Act Governing Food Safety and Sanitation the last of all 80 proposals to be discussed,” Huang said. “The KMT’s proposal would not have left the legislature enough time to discuss amendments to the law.”
He said that just before the vote, the KMT rejected a DPP proposal to create a compensation fund for victims of food scandals using penalties from food manufacturers involved.
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