Minister of Foreign Affairs David Lee (李大維) yesterday said that the ministry has explained to the Singaporean government about a drunk-driving case involving Taiwan’s newly sworn-in representative to Singapore, Antonio Chiang (江春男), adding that everything is still being processed according to the original schedule.
“This is an extremely regrettable incident. The Presidential Office has issued a statement saying that Chiang’s decision to drive under the influence [of alcohol] has set a bad example for the public, and he himself has issued an apology and expressed remorse for his actions to the ministry and society,” Lee said.
Lee said the ministry has notified Singapore’s representative office in Taiwan of the incident and that, to his knowledge, the office has reported the incident to the Singaporean government.
All arrangements regarding Chiang are still being processed in accordance with the original plans, Lee said, adding that the representative would cooperate with the ministry’s Department of East Asian and Pacific Affairs to ensure the success of his mission.
With regard to the Singaporean government’s reaction to the incident, Lee said that judging from local media reports, the city-state has yet to comment on the incident.
Lee made the remarks on the sidelines of an award ceremony in Taipei yesterday morning to recognize the diplomatic achievements of Chiang Ta-lung (江達隆), who served as director of the International Association of Lions Clubs from 2010 to 2012.
The minister was responding to reporters’ questions on whether the posting of Antonio Chiang — who was the original editor-in-chief of the Taipei Times — would be affected by his being caught driving with a breath alcohol content of 0.27 milligrams per liter (mg/L) on Tuesday evening in Taipei, just hours after he was sworn in as the representative to Singapore.
Under Article 185-3 of the Criminal Code, a person who drives with breath alcohol content of 0.25mg/L or more, or a blood alcohol concentration of 0.05 percent or higher, faces a prison term of up to two years and a maximum fine of NT$200,000.
Earlier yesterday, several members of Taiwan Against Drunk Driving staged a protest outside the ministry, urging President Tsai Ing-wen (蔡英文) to remove Antonio Chiang from his post.
“His actions are shameful. The government should not send such a person overseas to represent the nation,” said Taiwan Against Drunk Driving director-general Chen Min-hsiang (陳敏香), the mother of National Taiwan University Hospital trauma surgeon Tseng Yu-tzu (曾御慈).
Tseng, a former student of Taipei Mayor Ko Wen-je (柯文哲), was killed in a drunk-driving incident in May 2013.
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