The Forestry Bureau will work with law enforcement authorities to get to the bottom of an alleged corruption scandal involving three bureau officials and various businessmen, bureau -Director-General Yen Jen-teh (顏仁德) said on Friday.
According to the results of an initial investigation, the trio, including specialist Tung Chang-chih (董章治), helped forestation companies secure about NT$300 million (US$10.14 million) per year in projects on the nation’s outlying isles.
In return, the officials are alleged to have received kickbacks estimated at between NT$80 million and NT$100 million each year, as well as free travel tickets, accommodation and entertainment.
It is estimated that since the bureau began promoting forestation efforts on outlying isles in 1992, the amount of illegal profits that has found its way into the pockets of officials and businessmen could be as high as NT$1 billion.
Tung and the two other bureau officials — technicians Tsai Kuang-chin (蔡光進) and Hsu Nai-hui (許乃輝) — along with seven forestation operators have been held incommunicado by the Kinmen District Prosecutors’ Office, while two other operators have been released on NT$20,000 and NT$40,000 bail, according to reports.
On the possibility that higher-ranking bureau officials might also be involved in the scandal, Yen said: “The bureau will work with investigators to get to the bottom of the case.”
Yen said that although there were more than 1,000 forestation operators in the country, it is very difficult to grow a forest on the islands, so the bureau only invites operators that have previously taken part in forestation projects worth more than NT$5 million to join the bidding.
This restriction means that only 44 companies are eligible, Yen said, adding that in the end, only about 20 companies actually join the bidding for contracts.
Yen vowed to improve the system by ensuring that those in charge of monitoring projects are rotated so they have less opportunity to develop unhealthy relations with contractors, and by double-checking when the forestation projects are completed to ensure that they have been carried out properly.
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