President-elect Tsai Ing-wen (蔡英文) yesterday promised that she would resolve all conflict of interest issues before her inauguration on May 20, after an article published by an online media source questioned the connection between her brother, Tsai Ying-yang (蔡瀛陽), and OBI Pharma Inc (台灣浩鼎).
A letter to the editor published by the online news outlet Storm Media said that it is curious that Tsai Ing-wen seems to have close ties with OBI Pharma, adding that she visited the company’s chairman in person after it failed a test on a new drug.
The article went on to say that a search through the Ministry of Economic Affairs’ database would reveal that Fu-tai Investment Co (富鈦投資), for which Tsai Ying-yang is a board member, is a major stockholder in OBI Pharma.
Fu-tai was previously named Chieh-sheng Investment Co (潔生投資), after Tsai Ing-wen’s father, Tsai Chieh-sheng (蔡潔生), the author said, questioning the connection between the Tsai family and OBI Pharma, suggesting that Tsai Ing-wen should follow President Ma Ying-jeou’s (馬英九) example and ask her relatives to step down from positions to avoid any conflicts of interest.
Through Democratic Progressive Party spokesperson Wang Min-sheng (王閔生), the president-elect said that she has not participated in and knows nothing about the investment activities of her brother and sister-in-law.
“It is natural for a national leader to be concerned about industrial developments, including the biotech industry, which would be considered an important industry by any government regardless of party affiliation,” Wang said. “The visit [to OBI Pharma] on Wednesday was arranged by the institute for biotechnology and medicine industry, and it was aimed at engaging in a dialogue with the entire industry.”
Since Tsai Ing-wen’s election last month, she has prioritized addressing conflict of interest issues before her inauguration, Wang added.
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