An investigation into whether the Chinese Nationalist Party (KMT) sold Central Motion Picture Corp (CMPC, 中影), China Television Co (CTV, 中視) and Broadcasting Corp of China (BCC, 中廣) at less than market value had a significant breakthrough after digital files of recordings of conversations involving former president Ma Ying-jeou (馬英九) were restored, sources said.
Investigators on Nov. 9 recovered eight recordings of conversations between Ma and former KMT legislator Alex Tsai (蔡正元), former KMT Administration and Management Committee director Chang Che-chen (張哲琛), former KMT-controlled Central Investment Co (CIC, 中央投資公司) general manager Wang Hai-ching (汪海清), Cheng Uei Precision Industry Co (正崴) chairman Gou Tai-chiang (郭台強) and lawyer Lee Yung-ran (李永然) that might implicate Ma in the sale, sources said.
On Nov. 29, the Taipei District Prosecutors’ Office summoned Ma and Wang for questioning as defendants in the case, while also summoning CTV buyer Yu Chien-hsin (余建新) and CMPC buyer Gou and Lee as witnesses.
Photo: Fang Pin-chao, Taipei Times
The audio recovered by the office was nearly an hour in length and was recorded in various locations, including the KMT chairman’s office, the Taipei mayor’s office, a Taipei City Hall meeting room and at the CIC, the sources said.
All the alleged suspects in the case, with the exception of BCC buyer Jaw Shaw-kong (趙少康), were recorded talking with Ma, they said.
The sources said that the recordings were evidence that Ma, then KMT chairman, not only knew about the alleged sales of the companies at less than market value, but was also personally involved.
The recordings were obtained from Wang’s office and it was alleged that one of the involved parties made the recordings for their own protection over fears the transactions would go awry, they said.
The recordings include discussion of the prices of the transactions and how the KMT would be reciprocated for the sales, they said.
In the recordings, Ma avoided providing direct opinions when presented with options by the buyers and only made monosyllabic replies to reports by Chang, Wang and the buyers, the sources said.
Ma was aware that the buyers were undervaluing the three assets in question and did not object to the sales due to the party’s financial difficulties because it needed to pay pensions to retired party workers, the sources claimed.
In response to the allegations, Ma maintained that he was unaware of all of the new evidence that has surfaced and said Chang made the decisions of his own accord.
However, Chang and Wang said the sale of party assets was “of the utmost importance” to the party and it was impossible that the party chairman would authorize others to make the decisions.
Ma’s spokeswoman Hsu Chiao-hsin (徐巧芯) yesterday said that all the rumors and allegations regarding Ma’s involvement in selling party assets were not true.
She called on the office to launch an inquiry about leaks of information about an ongoing investigation.
The KMT sold the three companies after a 2003 amendment to the Broadcasting and Television Act (廣播電視法) which barred political parties, the military and politicians from owning media outlets.
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