The Control Yuan censured the Ministry of National Defense on Thursday for promoting 124 generals without following standard procedures between 1994 and last year.
The Control Yuan’s National Defense and Information Committee approved a proposal by members Lee Ping-nan (李炳南), Yu Teng-fang (余騰芳) and Huang Huang-hsiung (黃煌雄) to censure the ministry for disregarding regulations governing promotion of generals.
In their report they confirmed allegations that “there were officers being promoted through illegal means, including bribes.”
The reports said the 124 generals whose promotions were not in compliance with regulations represented 13.63 percent of the total number of generals promoted during the period.
Lee Jye (李傑), who served as defense minister between May 2004 and May 2007, promoted 35 generals without following established rules. Tang Yao-ming (湯曜明) (February 2002-May 2004) promoted 22; former Defense Minister Wu Shih-wen (伍世文) (May 2000-January 2002) 18; Chiang Chung-ling (蔣仲苓) (December 1994-February 1999) and Lee Tien-yu (李天羽) (May 2007-February 2008), 15 each; Tsai Ming-hsien (蔡明憲) (February-May 2008) 12; Tang Fei (唐飛) (February 1999-May 2000) six; and Chen Chao-min (陳肇敏) (May 2008-September last year) one.
Tsai, the last defense minister under the administration of former president Chen Shui-bian (陳水扁), had the highest ratio of irregular promotions — four per month — the Control Yuan said.
The Control Yuan did not punish any of the former ministers.
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