The Kaohsiung Prosecutors’ Office yesterday indicted Tseng Wen-sheng (曾文生), chief of Kaohsiung Mayor Chen Chu’s (陳菊) office, and Lai Jui-lung (賴瑞隆), secretary-general of the city’s Tourism Bureau, over allegations that they had forged Chen’s schedule for the day Typhoon Fanapi caused severe flooding in the city.
According to the indictment, a number of accidents had been reported in Kaohsiung from 3pm on Sept. 19, which had been declared a typhoon day in the city. To cover the fact that Chen was still taking a rest at her residence during that time, Tseng and Lai allegedly forged her schedule for the afternoon to avoid criticism of her.
To avoid a blank period in her schedule, Tseng and Lai wrote that she was scheduled for city inspections from 2pm to 5pm, including inspections in the city’s severely flooded Sanmin District (三民).
Responding to the indictments, Tseng and Lai said the schedule was “a careless written mistake.”
Chao Tien-lin (趙天麟), spokesman for Chen’s campaign headquarters, said Tseng and Lai displayed the schedule to the city council and media to clarify some false accusations against Chen.
A TV talk show falsely accused Chen of campaigning for her re-election on that afternoon was to blame, Chao said.
He said the mayor’s daily schedule was provided to the media for reference only and that the schedule was not an official document.
As a result, the crime of document forgery does not exist subjectively or objectively, Chao said, adding that Tseng and Lai would defend their reputations in court.
Prosecutors announced on Friday that they would not indict Chen and Kaohsiung County Commissioner Yang Chiu-hsing (楊秋興) for negligence of duty on the day of the typhoon.
Additional reporting by staff writer
“China is preparing to invade Taiwan,” Deputy Minister of Foreign Affairs Francois Wu (吳志中) said in an exclusive interview with British media channel Sky News for a special report titled, “Is Taiwan ready for a Chinese invasion?” the Ministry of Foreign Affairs said today in a statement. The 25-minute-long special report by Helen Ann-Smith released yesterday saw Sky News travel to Penghu, Taoyuan and Taipei to discuss the possibility of a Chinese invasion and how Taiwan is preparing for an attack. The film observed emergency response drills, interviewed baseball fans at the Taipei Dome on their views of US President
The Central Weather Administration (CWA) today issued a "tsunami watch" alert after a magnitude 8.7 earthquake struck off the Kamchatka Peninsula in northeastern Russia earlier in the morning. The quake struck off the east coast of the Kamchatka Peninsula at 7:25am (Taiwan time) at a depth of about 19km, the CWA said, citing figures from the Pacific Tsunami Warning Center. The CWA's Seismological Center said preliminary assessments indicate that a tsunami could reach Taiwan's coastal areas by 1:18pm today. The CWA urged residents along the coast to stay alert and take necessary precautions as waves as high as 1m could hit the southeastern
The National Museum of Taiwan Literature is next month to hold an exhibition in Osaka, Japan, showcasing the rich and unique history of Taiwanese folklore and literature. The exhibition, which is to run from Aug. 10 to Aug. 20 at the city’s Central Public Hall, is part of the “We Taiwan” at Expo 2025 series, highlighting Taiwan’s cultural ties with the international community, National Museum of Taiwan Literature director Chen Ying-fang (陳瑩芳) said. Folklore and literature, among Taiwan’s richest cultural heritages, naturally deserve a central place in the global dialogue, Chen said. Taiwan’s folklore would be immediately apparent at the entrance of the
ECONOMIC BENEFITS: The imports from Belize would replace those from Honduras, whose shrimp exports have dropped 67 percent since cutting ties in 2023 Maintaining ties with Taiwan has economic benefits, Ministry of Foreign Affairs officials said yesterday, citing the approval of frozen whiteleg shrimp imports from Belize by the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) as an example. The FDA on Wednesday approved the tariff-free imports from Belize after the whiteleg shrimp passed the Systematic Inspection of Imported Food, which would continue to boost mutual trade, the ministry said. Taiwan’s annual consumption of whiteleg shrimps stands at 30,000 tonnes, far exceeding domestic production, the ministry said. Taiwan used to fill the gap by importing shrimps from Honduras, but purchases slumped after Tegucigalpa severed diplomatic ties with Taiwan