The Chinese Nationalist Party (KMT) caucus yesterday charged Democratic Progressive Party (DPP) Taipei mayoral candidate Frank Hsieh (
KMT Legislator Justin Chou (周守訓) told a press conference that the Aloha Tour Bus Co donated NT$3 million (US$90,171) to the Kaohsiung Development Association, a civic society whose president, Hsu Cheng-chao (徐政朝), is a close friend of Hsieh, in 2002.
KMT Legislator Lwo Shih-hsiung (羅世雄) said that the company continued to operate for more than a year after its license had expired, earning about NT$100 million in the process.
The company was fined about NT$20 million because of a dispute with the Taipei City Government and for operating without a valid license last year, but the fines were never paid, he said.
The company's license, however, was renewed two weeks before Hsieh resigned as premier, which was probably a favor Hsieh did in exchange for the company's political donation, Lwo said.
Lwo and Chou added that Hsieh is establishing his new headquarters at the site of Aloha's old office on Chengde Rd, prompting their suspicion that Hsieh has inappropriate relations with Aloha.
Calling Hsieh's Kaohsiung experience "an experience of corruption [referring to Hsieh's tenure as Kaohsiung mayor] ," Chou demanded that Hsieh clarify his relationship with Aloha, adding that the caucus would hold a press conference every three days to present new evidence against Hsieh.
In response, DPP Legislator Hsu Kuo-yung (
Hsu added that the association has nothing to do with Hsieh.
As the Political Donation Law (
DPP Legislator Lan Mei-chin (
As for the location of Hsieh's new headquarters, the Taipei mayoral candidate chose the site because the location was good, DPP Legislator Hsieh Hsin-ni (
The lawmaker added that the property was owned by five different landlords, not Aloha.
When approached by reporters for comment, Frank Hsieh said that he would only answer accusations coming from his rival candidate, Hau Lung-bin (
Taiwan is to receive the first batch of Lockheed Martin F-16 Block 70 jets from the US late this month, a defense official said yesterday, after a year-long delay due to a logjam in US arms deliveries. Completing the NT$247.2 billion (US$7.69 billion) arms deal for 66 jets would make Taiwan the third nation in the world to receive factory-fresh advanced fighter jets of the same make and model, following Bahrain and Slovakia, the official said on condition of anonymity. F-16 Block 70/72 are newly manufactured F-16 jets built by Lockheed Martin to the standards of the F-16V upgrade package. Republic of China
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