Former Control Yuan president Wang Tso-yung (
Wang said the agency should instead be under the auspices of the Control Yuan because the targets of the administration's anti-corruption crackdown are civil servants rather than civilians.
The Control Yuan is the nation's top watchdog body, empowered to investigate irregularities involving government employees under Taiwan's five-branch constitutional framework.
"If we are to set up an anti-corruption agency, it must be under the Control Yuan. Otherwise, it will infringe upon the power of the body and damage the constitutional system. This is a very serious matter," Wang said.
In addition, Wang said that the anti-corruption agency should be independent from the administrative branch and be non-partisan.
"The minister of justice and his deputy both have political backgrounds and cannot exercise their duties independently," Wang said.
The Ministry of Justice has submitted a bill to the legislature which calls for the establishment of an anti-corruption agency under its authority.
Some have speculated that Minister of Justice Chen Ding-nan (陳定南) came up with the idea for the agency because he does not have control over the ministry's Investigation Bureau. The ministry shares authority over the bureau with the National Security Bureau.
The ministry's bill has been stalled in the legislature for weeks because of objections raised by the majority KMT caucus, reportedly because Investigation Bureau officials, who maintain close relations with the party, have secretly lobbied KMT lawmakers to block the bill.
The KMT caucus has explained that it is not against the establishment of an anti-corruption agency but would prefer the agency be set up under the Control Yuan.
The caucus yesterday unveiled its own proposal, which is to be sent to the legislature for review. In this proposal, the status of the anti-corruption investigators in the Control Yuan would be equivalent to that of judicial police officers.
KMT legislator Ting Shou-chung (
Ting said the body should be invested with the power to probe suspicious increases in the value of those assets that could be a result of corrupt practices.
"It will be more effective to track corruption by investigating strange changes discovered in the value of government officials' assets," Ting said.
Ting also said the proposed anti-corruption agency's functions will not overlap with those of the Government Ethics Department within the Ministry of Justice, because the staff of the latter are trained in political espionage, rather than anti-corruption work.
Meanwhile, Wang said even with the establishment of the anti-corruption agency, the Control Yuan will still need to refer government officials suspected of involvement in criminal activities to the judiciary for trial.
RULES BROKEN: The MAC warned Chinese not to say anything that would be harmful to the autonomous status of Taiwan or undermine its sovereignty A Chinese couple accused of disrupting a pro-democracy event in Taipei organized by Hong Kong residents has been deported, the National Immigration Agency said in a statement yesterday afternoon. A Chinese man, surnamed Yao (姚), and his wife were escorted by immigration officials to Taiwan Taoyuan International Airport, where they boarded a flight to China before noon yesterday, the agency said. The agency said that it had annulled the couple’s entry permits, citing alleged contraventions of the Regulations Governing the Approval of Entry of People of the Mainland Area into the Taiwan Area (大陸地區人民進入台灣地區許可辦法). The couple applied to visit a family member in
CELEBRATION: The PRC turned 75 on Oct. 1, but the Republic of China is older. The PRC could never be the homeland of the people of the ROC, Lai said The People’s Republic of China (PRC) could not be the “motherland” of the people of the Republic of China (ROC), President William Lai (賴清德) said yesterday. Lai made the remarks in a speech at a Double Ten National Day gala in Taipei, which is part of National Day celebrations that are to culminate in a fireworks display in Yunlin County on Thursday night next week. Lai wished the country a happy birthday and called on attendees to enjoy the performances and activities while keeping in mind that the ROC is a sovereign and independent nation. He appealed for everyone to always love their
‘EXTREME PRESSURE’: Beijing’s goal is to ‘force Taiwan to make mistakes,’ Admiral Tang Hua said, adding that mishaps could serve as ‘excuses’ for launching a blockade China’s authoritarian expansionism threatens not only Taiwan, but the rules-based international order, the navy said yesterday, after its top commander said in an interview that the Chinese People’s Liberation Army (PLA) could blockade the nation at will. The object of Beijing’s expansionist activities is not limited to Taiwan and its use of pressure is not confined to specific political groups or people, the navy said in a statement. China utilizes a mixture of cognitive warfare and “gray zone” military activities to pressure Taiwan, the navy said, adding that PLA sea and air forces are compressing the nation’s defensive depth. The navy continues to
MISSILE MISSION: The Chungshan Institute of Science and Technology said it does not make policy, but would be glad to obtain certification to assemble the missiles The Ministry of National Defense-affiliated Chungshan Institute of Science and Technology is in the process of getting certified to assemble an additional 1,985 Stinger missiles on top of those from US arms sales, a senior defense official said yesterday. Washington is to send a team to Taiwan to evaluate the institute’s manufacturing capabilities and information security, said the official, who commented on condition of anonymity. The ministry initially bought 500 missiles for the army and navy, but later increased the order to 2,485 in response to an increase in Beijing’s military activities around the nation, and to meet the army’s urgent need
RSS