Taiwan People’s Party (TPP) Chairman Ko Wen-je (柯文哲) yesterday announced that he would apply for a three-month leave of absence from his leadership role in response to multiple scandals that have rocked the nation’s third-largest political party.
Ko also said he would “voluntarily apply [to the party] for an investigation,” without elaborating.
At a news conference organized by the TPP, Ko apologized to party supporters for the misreporting of campaign finances for the presidential election in January.
Photo: CNA
“Especially for disappointing friends and supporters of the TPP, on this point, I would like to express an apology,” Ko said, before bowing in front of the assembled press.
Ko said that he bore “the biggest responsibility” for the breach of trust caused by the scandal.
In response to separate criticisms leveled at Ko earlier this week for spending the party’s presidential election subsidy on personal office space, Ko said that he did so only because the party “needed” a “legislative office” near the Legislative Yuan.
“Not considering the whole picture is a bad habit of mine,” Ko said. “This is a responsibility I have to face up to.”
Legislator Vivian Huang (黃珊珊) and TPP legislative caucus director Vicky Chen (陳智菡), who respectively had been director and deputy director of Ko’s election campaign, said the news conference aimed to “clarify in one swoop” accounting discrepancies that prompted the Control Yuan to launch an investigation.
On Aug. 14, the TPP blamed Tuanmu Cheng (端木正), an accountant contracted by the campaign’s finance department, for misreporting about NT$18.17 million (US$569,539) of payments to companies including Muko Public Relations Marketing Ltd (木可行銷公關), which sold merchandise bearing Ko’s trademark “KP” logo.
The following day, Muko director Li Wen-chuan (李文娟) was released on bail of NT$1.5 million, while Tuanmu was granted bail of NT$1 million after being questioned by prosecutors.
Aside from the campaign finance scandal, Ko is also under scrutiny related to an anti-corruption probe into real-estate dealings that took place when he was mayor of Taipei.
On Wednesday, investigators searched 48 locations and questioned six suspects and 12 witnesses in connection to the probe.
Yesterday, prosecutors requested the detention of three people, including Taipei City Councilor Angela Ying (應曉薇).
They also released three others on bail ranging from NT$2 million to NT$12 million for their alleged involvement in the corruption case.
The Ministry of the Interior (MOI) is to tighten rules for candidates running for public office, requiring them to declare that they do not hold a Chinese household registration or passport, and that they possess no other foreign citizenship. The requirement was set out in a draft amendment to the Enforcement Rules of the Public Officials Election and Recall Act (公職人員選舉罷免法 ) released by the ministry on Thursday. Under the proposal, candidates would need to make the declaration when submitting their registration forms, which would be published in the official election bulletin. The move follows the removal of several elected officials who were
The Republic of China (ROC) is celebrating its 114th Double Ten National Day today, featuring military parades and a variety of performances and speeches in front of the Presidential Office in Taipei. The Taiwan Taiko Association opened the celebrations with a 100-drummer performance, including young percussionists. As per tradition, an air force Mirage 2000 fighter jet flew over the Presidential Office as a part of the performance. The Honor Guards of the ROC and its marching band also heralded in a military parade. Students from Taichung's Shin Min High School then followed with a colorful performance using floral imagery to represent Taiwan's alternate name
COGNITIVE WARFARE: Chinese fishing boats transmitting fake identification signals are meant to test Taiwan’s responses to different kinds of perceived incursions, a report said Chinese vessels are transmitting fake signals in Taiwan’s waters as a form of cognitive warfare, testing Taipei’s responses to various types of incursions, a report by the Institute for the Study of War said on Friday. Several Chinese fishing vessels transmitted fake automatic identification system (AIS) signals in Taiwan’s waters last month, with one mimicking a Russian warship and another impersonating a Chinese law enforcement vessel, the report said. Citing data from Starboard Maritime Intelligence, the report said that throughout August and last month, the Chinese fishing boat Minshiyu 06718 (閩獅漁06718) sailed through the Taiwan Strait while intermittently transmitting its own AIS
CHINESE INFILTRATION: Medical logistics is a lifeline during wartime and the reported CCP links of a major logistics company present a national security threat, an expert said The government would bolster its security check system to prevent China from infiltrating the nation’s medical cold chain, a national security official said yesterday. The official, who wished to stay anonymous, made the remarks after the Chinese-language magazine Mirror Media (鏡周刊) reported that Pharma Logistics (嘉里醫藥物流) is in charge of the medical logistics of about half of the nation’s major hospitals, including National Taiwan University Hospital and Taipei Veterans General Hospital. The company’s parent, Kerry TJ Logistics Co (嘉里大榮物流), is associated with the National Committee of the Chinese People’s Political Consultative Conference (CPPCC) and the Chinese People’s Liberation Army (PLA), the
RSS