Former National Women’s League chairwoman Cecilia Koo (辜嚴倬雲) yesterday urged the league’s leadership to donate the organization’s assets in their entirety to the state.
In a video she recorded in the US, Koo said that during her negotiations with the government she had proposed donating all of the league’s assets to the pension fund for military personnel to honor the league’s founding purpose, which is to take care of veterans and their families.
“Although my proposal was refused, I urge league chairwoman Joanna Lei (雷倩) and league members to return the league’s assets to the state in their entirety and ensure that they are used to support military officers and their families, instead of turning them over to any individual party,” Koo said.
Photo: CNA
Regarding the league’s alleged missing account books and financial records, Koo said that although she had anticipated becoming a target of mudslinging attacks when she decided not to sign a government-proposed administrative contract, recent developments have forced her to explain herself to the public.
“I can guarantee that the Koo family has never done anything illegal, nor do we have anything to hide. Not even one cent of [the league’s money] ended up in our pockets. We even had to fund the league with our own money at times,” Koo said, adding that she would not evade any fairly conducted investigation.
The Cabinet’s Ill-gotten Party Assets Settlement Committee has launched a probe into Koo and one of her daughters over the missing records, which league employees said were moved to a residential unit in Taipei, but which had been removed before investigators arrived.
Koo, who in December last year was removed as league chairwoman by the Ministry of the Interior over her refusal to sign an administrative contract, said the only things she retrieved from her office were personal items.
The league is facing a renewed government investigation over its alleged links to the Chinese Nationalist Party (KMT) after it was listed as a KMT affiliate on Feb. 1 following league representatives’ decision not to sign the contract, despite the change of leadership.
The contract required the league to voluntarily dissolve itself and donate 90 percent of its total assets, or about NT$34.3 billion (US$1.17 billion), to the state to fund social welfare projects.
The committee said if Koo’s family has nothing to hide, she should immediately hand over the missing records and documents.
“If Koo believes the league should donate its assets to the state, she should start by convincing the league’s members,” it added.
Committee spokeswoman Shih Chin-fang (施錦芳) said the committee plans to conduct a final round of interviews over the missing records next week.
“By then, we would have a clearer idea of whom we will take legal action against,” she said.
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