Legislators yesterday said the Ministry of National Defense (MND) had rushed to move into its new compound, despite it not passing safety inspections, saying the military was endangering personnel by making them work in hazardous office facilities and raising the specter of legal disputes.
Democratic Progressive Party (DPP) legislators Liu Chien-kuo (劉建國) and Yang Yao (楊曜) said the new compound — which was officially opened in Taipei’s Dazhi (大直) area on Dec. 27 last year — has unfinished facilities.
Liu and Yang said at a press briefing that many areas had not yet passed safety inspections and that a total of 1,156 building defects that require improvements remained, along with 740 deficiencies in its utilities and wiring.
Photo: Fang Pin-chao, Taipei Times
Liu showed photographs of unfinished rooms, holes in ceilings and walls, and exposed wiring.
“These offices are in a dangerous condition,” Liu said. “If legal disputes arise with contractors, who will shoulder the responsibility?”
He also said there are problems with air conditioning systems and that dining facilities are unfinished.
“Most ministry staff have to work without air conditioning for now,” he said.
“They also have to go off premises to buy meals,” he added.
“The new compound cost NT$15.8 billion [US$520 million] and it looks like a gold-and-jade-encrusted building on the outside, but inside it is actually a ramshackle, unsafe structure,” Liu said.
Liu and Yang called for a judicial probe into negligence and rules violations by Minister of National Defense Yen Ming (嚴明) after the move into the new compound.
Military Construction Bureau head Huang Te-hsiao (黃德孝) said the move had been carefully planned and it was not a rushed decision.
The project and safety inspections were conducted in accordance with the Government Procurement Act (政府採購法), Huang said.
“When defects and shortcomings were found, we asked contractors to repair them,” Huang said.
“Testing operations for the facilities are being reviewed, and we have required contractors to wrap up the construction and repair work by the end of this month,” he added.
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