Lawmakers were divided yesterday over a comment by Premier Su Tseng-chang (蘇貞昌) which has been interpreted as defending government officials involved in scandals over their discretionary funds.
Su said on Wednesday that the special allowance fund controversies were the result of a "historical glitch" and that no individual was at fault.
A group of Democratic Progressive Party (DPP) lawmakers, who have attacked Taipei Mayor Ma Ying-jeou (馬英九) over his handling of his special mayoral allowance, condemned Su yesterday.
"Su was not trying to help Ma, but trying to bring the controversy to an end so that he will not have to face allegations over his own fund," Legislator Hsieh Hsin-ni (
Given that there were similarities in the nature of the president's "state affairs fund" and Ma's special allowance fund, why didn't Su say that the "state affairs fund" controversy was also the result of a "historical glitch?" Hsieh asked.
Legislator Hsu Kuo-yung (徐國勇) said the judicial investigation into Ma's fund could not be halted simply because of Su's definition of the special allowance fund system.
Chinese Nationalist Party (KMT) lawmakers, however, hailed Su's comment regarding Ma, but said that the principle was not applicable to the "state affairs fund."
Minister of Justice Morley Shih (施茂林) said on Wednesday that the special allowance fund should be seen as "substantially a subsidy," which means that officials would not be required to return any unused money to the government.
Shih's remarks would be beneficial in clarifying whether it was legal for Ma to count the half of his monthly fund that he deposited into his personal bank account as his property.
"The comments made by Su and Shih were highly praiseworthy," KMT Legislator Hong Hsiu-chu (
People First Party spokesman Lee Hung-chun (李鴻鈞) insisted that any embezzlement was intolerable.
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