Just two weeks ago, Taipei Mayor Ma Ying-jeou (馬英九) urged the city's administration to tighten the reins on municipal management at the fifth anniversary of his inauguration, but on Thursday a scandal erupted in the Taipei Rapid Transit Corporation (TRTC).
The TRTC admitted that at least 127 of its employees -- including nine station chiefs -- at 50 MRT stations had tampered with EasyCard records to avoid paying for their journeys over the past few months. It was estimated that these employees embezzled at least NT$650,000 from the company by modifying the ticket records.
The TRTC decided to fire eight workers who had altered the ticket records up to 70 times. The corporation will turn 115 employees over to the prosecutor's office for further interrogation.
Under pressure from the public and city councilors, Ma gave a verbal warning to TRTC chairman Richard Chen (
But many city councilors and lawmakers said that Ma had been too lenient on Chen and Tsay. Councilors said that Tsay should assume responsibility by resigning of his own accord.
According to Democratic Progressive Party City Councilor Wang Shih-chien (
"Ma often forgives the city staff's faults, which demonstrates his lack of resolution," Wang said.
People First Party Lawmaker Diane Lee (
"Ma, as the head of the city government, should have been much more surprised and furious at this scandal than the public. But we only saw Ma trying to keep his composure while dealing with the media and attempting to reduce the impact of this dishonor," Lee said.
Ma's administration has had to deal with several tough issues, from the handling of the SARS outbreak and the merger of Fubon Financial Holding Co (
But, according to Chen Li-hung (
Ma chose to defend his department chiefs rather than administering reasonable punishments and sincerely apologizing for the blunders. The mayor always follows the principle of not offending anyone when dealing with thorny problems, which will prevent him from seeking a higher position in politics, Chen Li-hung said.
Chinese Nationalist Party (KMT) Chairman Eric Chu (朱立倫), spokeswoman Yang Chih-yu (楊智伃) and Legislator Hsieh Lung-chieh (謝龍介) would be summoned by police for questioning for leading an illegal assembly on Thursday evening last week, Minister of the Interior Liu Shyh-fang (劉世芳) said today. The three KMT officials led an assembly outside the Taipei City Prosecutors’ Office, a restricted area where public assembly is not allowed, protesting the questioning of several KMT staff and searches of KMT headquarters and offices in a recall petition forgery case. Chu, Yang and Hsieh are all suspected of contravening the Assembly and Parade Act (集會遊行法) by holding
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