Former president Lee Teng-hui (李登輝) yesterday denied he knew of any illegal outbuildings on his property or illegal additions to his residence which could have sparked the controversy begun by a New Party Taipei City councilor.
"It was like that when I moved in. [The media] shouldn't believe in such hearsay," said Lee, before stepping into the conference room at the Grand Hotel, where he was scheduled to deliver a speech to a meeting of 500 Rotary Club members.
Whether the former president was aware of the violation, however, was not important as Liu Cheh-hsiung (劉哲雄), director of the city government's division of building standards, said that any illegal additions to the home would have to be demolished if the structures are indeed proven to be illegal.
"Once the section in question is found to be illegal, the authorities will ensure that the case is handled in accordance with the law, regardless of the status of the residents," said Liu.
According to administrative regulations issued by the Taipei City government, if any illegal additions were built before the end of 1994, the demolition could be delayed, depending on the violation and when it was constructed.
If no contingencies are found, the structures in question must be torn down within 10 days of official notification to the owner.
On Wednesday, New Party Councilor Lee Ching-yuan (
Councilor Lee presented several aerial photos of Lee's home which he says proves his claim that the house was expanded by 330m2 between 1980 and 1994, and then expanded again last year from a two-story home into a three-story home.
The councilor said although the destruction of any additions built before 1995 to the house could be delayed, last year's expansion will have to be demolished in a timely manner.
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