Liberty Times (LT): Your organization is tasked with fighting corruption in government. What is unique about it? What vision led to its foundation?
Chu Chia-chi (朱家崎): The agency’s responsibilities include prosecution, corruption prevention and promotion of government ethics.
The Ministry of Justice appoints prosecutors to oversee teams of corruption prevention officials and ethics office employees to investigate and prosecute corruption cases.
Photo: Wang Yi-sung, Taipei Times
The agency is overseen by the Anti-corruption Review Committee, but it also retains an internal review division that periodically assesses plans tendered by corruption prevention officials to ensure that all procedures are up to standard.
Rectitude and integrity are our core values and present a line that should not — and will not — be crossed.
LT: The public typically sees the agency as one that arrests corrupt officials. Does the agency oversee any other affairs?
Chu: The agency should not stop at arresting those who are corrupt, but should analyze how, and why, they have engaged in criminal activities. Such information can be used to design preventive measures.
The entire process is similar to preventive healthcare. Arresting corrupt officials is treating the symptoms, corruption prevention is finding a cure and fighting corruption means spreading knowledge to avoid and prevent the illness from reappearing.
Here at the agency, we encourage our colleagues to prosecute severe corruption cases and premeditated crime, as these two types warrant more severe sentences. However, in other cases, we should adopt a softer approach, or the public might feel that the agency is blowing up trivial cases.
The agency plans to adopt a style similar to that of the Tainan City Government, which under then-mayor William Lai (賴清德) asked for a monthly report in which a bureau or division was to present a case study of a widespread problem at that department or equivalents in other municipalities and suggest measures to counter the issue.
Local anti-corruption committees will review the measures, and incorporate advice and suggestions from attending division heads.
LT: Major public construction projects often fall prey to collusion or bribery. What actions has the agency taken to prevent such problems?
Chu: Due to its limited staff, the agency targets tenders that are worth more than NT$10 billion (US$323.52 million).
The Twin Towers project next to Taipei Railway Station, worth NT$70 billion; the Taiwan Railway Administration’s purchase of railcars, worth NT$97 billion; Taiwan Taoyuan International Airport’s construction of a third terminal, the funding of which could be increased to NT$200 billion, are all being monitored by the agency.
We will be speaking with local prosecutor-generals and authorities overseeing the bidding to establish an anti-corruption platform. We aim for monthly meetings to bolster official oversight and to examine all procedures to prevent potential corruption.
The agency will offer its assistance should the authorities’ say that they are being pressured by “external forces.” This way, civil servants will feel safer and will be more willing to devote themselves to their jobs when handling tenders.
LT: The Agency Against Corruption has been examining a number of offenses that might have been caused flawed official planning. Can you elaborate?
Chu: To give an example, borough wardens can apply to municipal civil affairs departments for travel funds to take community leaders or patrol officers on cultural outings.
Let us say that the warden originally plans for 50 people to attend, but one of the community leaders unexpectedly falls ill and invites their brother to attend in their place. Later, perhaps in the face of elections or because an attendee has a change of mind, someone files a report and the person who sent their brother faces corruption charges.
Travel subsidies are meant to show appreciation for hard work, but the educational component of the trip is perfunctory, so participants cannot send someone else in place. Such activities are for model functionaries, bringing together talented people.
The nature [of these activities] is essentially different, but we can make relevant changes to make them more reasonable and practical.
Additionally there is the issue of [misuse of] subsidies by elected officials to pay their staff. Numerous officials of different political affiliations have had their political motives questioned. Academics have also called for changes to the regulations.
The agency has entered into talks with the Directorate-General of Budget, Accounting and Statistics, the Ministry of the Interior and other authorities. Out of a shared respect for the goals and principles of the legislative process, we are looking at whether there is any room to ease restrictions to prevent a pattern of repeated misconduct.
LT: Premier William Lai has promoted a “three protections” policy. Can you explain the intention and extent of this policy?
Chu: At the agency’s general meeting at the end of last year, Premier Lai stated the need to cherish, protect and defend honest civil servants — this is what he meant by the “three protections.”
The agency has formulated policies around these three focal points. For example, we actively promoted reporting of assets to prevent officials being hit with penalties or charges of misappropriation of public assets.
We also expect ethics officers at government agencies to take action. As soon as they suspect a violation, they should prevent it, not stand idly by while a public servant breaks the law.
It is the same thing with conflicts of interest. For example, a township mayor’s younger brother opened a store that sells clean and inexpensive lunchboxes; whenever the township office held a meeting or activity, it would buy meals from the store. This constitutes a conflict of interest and an amendment to the Act on the Recusal of Public Servants Due to Conflict of Interest (公職人員利益衝突迴避法), which is to take effect on Dec. 13, prohibits such behavior.
LT: Numerous instances of government procurement or supervision result in public complaints about possible graft. How can oversight of government agencies be bolstered to reduce this risk?
Chu: We are implementing new corruption prevention policies and have asked senior officials to list the areas where corruption flourishes.
We chose 10 items to focus on, which generate the most complaints from the public, including engineering projects involving piping and cabling, funeral services and the management of construction projects.
These areas often see fraud in accounting for materials and corrupt exchanges. We will increase measures to prevent corruption based on the results from our latest investigations.
We will be on guard against corruption and expect to address public grievances for the benefit of public welfare.
Translated by staff writers Jake Chung and William Hetherington
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