The Pingtung County Government yesterday reaffirmed the legality of Democratic Progressive Party (DPP) vice presidential candidate Su Jia-chyuan’s (蘇嘉全) farmhouse in the county.
A joint press conference held by the county’s Urban and Rural Development Department, Land Administration Department and Agricultural Department came amid a series of attacks against Su by Chinese Nationalist Party (KMT) Legislator Chiu Yi (邱毅).
Su said yesterday that he would file a defamation lawsuit against Chiu.
Photo: CNA
The qualification and the purchase by Su’s wife, Hung Heng-chu (洪恆珠), of a 2,505m2 plot of agricultural land in Changchih Township (長治) and the construction of a farmhouse on the land are all legal, a county official told the press conference.
The 250.47m2 farmhouse does not violate rules governing the use of farmland, which stipulate that the percentage of a plot of agricultural land used for houses should not exceed 10 percent, Urban and Rural Development Department Director Huang Chao-chung (黃肇崇) said.
Hung was fined NT$60,000 for illegal additional constructions in 2007, but she has paid the fine and corrected all violations, Lin Chin-ho (林景和), head of the Agricultural Department, told the press conference.
Chiu has launched a series of attacks on Su’s family in recent weeks. He accused Su Chia-fu (蘇嘉富), Su Jia-chyuan’s older brother, of involvement in a business that illegally mined sand and gravel and said the grave of Su Jia-chyuan’s father was built on public land.
He also accused another older brother, Su Chia-chuan (蘇嘉川), of illegally leasing agricultural land for commercial use in Pingtung.
“Chiu’s credibility as a whistle- blower can easily be seen from his miserable record,” DPP spokesperson Chuang Ruei--hsiung (莊瑞雄) told a separate press conference, adding that Chiu was resorting to mud-throwing tactics to try to damage the DPP’s presidential campaign.
The Pingtung County Government has clarified the legality of the farmhouse, Chuang said.
As for questions about the location of the grave of Su Jia-chyuan’s father, he said the dispute was caused by historical factors since cadastral information in Taiwan has often been inaccurate and a database has not been established.
Hong Kong singer Eason Chan’s (陳奕迅) concerts in Kaohsiung this weekend have been postponed after he was diagnosed with Covid-19 this morning, the organizer said today. Chan’s “FEAR and DREAMS” concert which was scheduled to be held in the coming three days at the Kaohsiung Arena would be rescheduled to May 29, 30 and 31, while the three shows scheduled over the next weekend, from May 23 to 25, would be held as usual, Universal Music said in a statement. Ticket holders can apply for a full refund or attend the postponed concerts with the same seating, the organizer said. Refund arrangements would
Taiwanese indie band Sunset Rollercoaster and South Korean outfit Hyukoh collectively received the most nominations at this year’s Golden Melody Awards, earning a total of seven nods from the jury on Wednesday. The bands collaborated on their 2024 album AAA, which received nominations for best band, best album producer, best album design and best vocal album recording. “Young Man,” a single from the album, earned nominations for song of the year and best music video, while another track, “Antenna,” also received a best music video nomination. Late Hong Kong-American singer Khalil Fong (方大同) was named the jury award winner for his 2024 album
Premier Cho Jung-tai (卓榮泰) on Friday laid out the Cabinet’s updated policy agenda and recapped the government’s achievements ahead of the one-year anniversary of President William Lai’s (賴清德) inauguration. Cho said the government had made progress across a range of areas, including rebuilding Hualien, cracking down on fraud, improving pedestrian safety and promoting economic growth. “I hope the public will not have the impression that the Cabinet only asked the legislature to reconsider a bunch of legal amendments,” Cho said, calling the moves “necessary” to protect constitutional governance and the public’s interest. The Cabinet would work toward achieving its “1+7” plan, he said. The
Palauan President Surangel Whipps Jr arrived in Taiwan last night to kick off his first visit to the country since beginning his second term earlier this year. After arriving at Taoyuan International Airport at around 6:30 pm, Whipps and his delegation were welcomed by Minister of Foreign Affairs Lin Chia-lung (林佳龍). Speaking to gathered media, the Palauan leader said he was excited and honored to be back in Taiwan on his first state visit to Taiwan since he was sworn in this January. Among those traveling with Whipps is Minister of State Gustav N. Aitaro, Public Infrastructure