New Power Party (NPP) Legislator Kawlo Iyun Pacidal yesterday denied being involved in a conflict of interest case linked to her former legislative assistants, saying she would launch an investigation to defend her party membership.
Throughout her career at the Legislative Yuan, she has always worked hard to improve the rights of Aborigines and has never breached the law, Kawlo, an Amis, told a news conference
“I will not accept the spiteful accusations that I engaged in influence peddling or exerted pressure on the government’s reviews of green energy subsidy applications,” she said.
Photo: CNA
“Of all the subsidies I have earned for Aborigines, not a penny has gone into my own pocket,” she said.
The Green Party Taiwan on Monday last week said that two nongovernmental organizations run by a former assistant of Kawlo had received NT$4 million (US$127,539) in subsidies from the Ministry of Economic Affairs to establish clean-energy facilities.
As Kawlo is a member of the Legislative Yuan’s Economics Committee, which is responsible for supervising the ministry, the Green Party expressed concerns that the assistants could have breached conflict of interest laws and asked whether Kawlo had abused her power to obtain the subsidies.
Following the allegations, the NPP’s disciplinary committee on Wednesday last week suspended Kawlo and recommended that her membership be revoked for tarnishing the party’s image.
She had requested that the disciplinary committee members recuse themselves from the meeting and refused to answer questions, because they appeared to be biased against her, Kawlo said.
The committee had announced that it would recommend revoking her membership before thoroughly investigating the case or giving her sufficient time to prepare her defense, she said.
“Some of the things involved in the case happened a while back, so I need some time to clarify them,” she said.
Kawlo said she has dismissed her legislative office staff and would form a team to investigate the case.
She would provide related information to police if she finds anything illicit, Kawlo said, adding that if nothing is found, it would also be a chance to prove her former assistants’ innocence.
“I will try to complete the investigation by Aug. 25 and hope to have a chance to offer my explanation about the case during the NPP national convention that day,” she said.
According to the NPP’s charter, the disciplinary committee’s decision must be confirmed at the national convention, she said.
“I will humbly review myself and admit any mistakes on my part,” Kawlo said, adding that she hopes to continue working for Aboriginal rights if proven innocent.
Kawlo has no legal responsibility regarding the alleged conflict of interest involving her former assistants, her lawyer Lin Hsien-tung (林憲同) said.
“If she had any responsibility, it would be that she was supposed to supervise them, but based on the principle of proportionality, that should not lead to anything more than a warning,” he said.
If the national convention decides to revoke her membership, he would strongly recommend filing an administrative lawsuit, he added.
Chinese President Xi Jinping (習近平) is unlikely to attempt an invasion of Taiwan during US president-elect Donald Trump’s time in office, Taiwanese and foreign academics said on Friday. Trump is set to begin his second term early next year. Xi’s ambition to establish China as a “true world power” has intensified over the years, but he would not initiate an invasion of Taiwan “in the near future,” as his top priority is to maintain the regime and his power, not unification, Tokyo Woman’s Christian University distinguished visiting professor and contemporary Chinese politics expert Akio Takahara said. Takahara made the comment at a
Upon its completion next year, the new Tamkang Bridge (淡江大橋) in New Taipei City is to be an important landmark in Taiwan, alongside Taipei 101, Minister of Transportation and Communications Chen Shi-kai (陳世凱) said today. The bridge is scheduled to be completed in December next year and open to the public in the first half of 2026, connecting New Taipei City’s Tamsui (淡水) and Bali (八里) districts. It is an asymmetric single-tower suspension bridge, nearly 70 stories tall, designed by world-famous architect Zaha Hadid. The bridge aims to alleviate traffic in Tamsui and on the Guandu Bridge (關渡大橋), in addition to increasing the
EXERCISES: A 2022 article by a Chinese intelligence expert identified at least six People’s Liberation Army assault boats hidden inside the Hong Kong-flagged ship A Hong Kong-flagged cargo ship that had been docked at Taichung Port and which previously took part in Chinese military exercises departed from the port on Saturday, the Taiwan International Ports Corp’s Taichung branch said yesterday. The statement came in response to a post on the social media platform X by Taiwan-based journalist Chris Horton that said the ship, the SCSC Fortune, had been docked at the port since Tuesday and questioned whether Taiwan has any rules regarding foreign civilian vessels that have participated in People’s Liberation Army (PLA) exercises. Horton referenced a 2022 article by Chinese intelligence expert Rod Lee that
PROBLEMATIC: Popular hotpot restaurant chains were among the list of restaurants that failed the inspection and have been ordered to remove bad ingredients The Taipei Department of Health’s latest inspection of hotpot ingredients in hotpot restaurants resulted in a 16.7 percent failure rate. Eight vegetables had excessive pesticide residue and two other items had aflatoxin and excessive preservatives. As the weather is getting colder, more people eat at hotpot restaurants so a random inspection of ingredients was conducted in October to ensure food safety, the department said. Food and Drug Division Director Lin Kuan-chen (林冠蓁) said 60 different ingredients were tested: 15 high-risk vegetables, 15 processed food items, 10 soy-based food items, five meat items, five lamb items, five seafood items and five peanut powder
RSS