Democratic Progressive Party (DPP) lawmakers and legal experts yesterday demanded tougher laws and punishments for fraud that affects national security.
The Chungshan Institute of Science and Technology on Wednesday denied that national security was compromised after Mirror Media magazine reported that two local contractors, Onsen Taiwan Cosmetics Corp (昂神國際) and Burnaby Light Technology Corp (勳章科技), which were involved in the production of indigenous Tien Kung (“Sky Bow”) missiles, had for their own gain allegedly used inferior silicone rectifiers sourced from China in its ignition systems.
“The contractors allegedly made illegal profits of more than NT$100 million [US$3.59 million], by using poor-quality and inexpensive Chinese-made components in place of specified parts for Sky Bow missiles. This severely undermined our national security,” said attorney Huang Di-ying (黃帝穎), who is also director of the Taiwan Forever Association.
Photo: Lo Tien-pin, Taipei Times
“The legal offenses would likely only be fraud and forgery with a five-year prison sentence or less,” Huang said. “Such a penalty does not match the severity of the crime and its effect on military defense security.”
Huang said that legislators should amend the National Security Act (國家安全法) to create tougher sentences for criminal misconduct involving military procurement programs.
Under the act, the law is contravened when contractors are found receiving instructions from Chinese agents, then passing those instructions to Taiwanese government or military officials, he said.
“However, prosecutors have difficulty tracing and uncovering such evidence,” he added.
DPP Legislator Tsai Shih-ying (蔡適應) said that public opinion supports greater punishments for fraud or corruption in military procurement that damages national security.
Tsai suggested legal amendments that impose an additional 50 percent on the sentencing handed down from a judge, as is done with contraventions of the Criminal Code of the Armed Forces (陸海空軍刑法).
“Military procurement is administered under the Government Procurement Act (政府採購法), which does not allow imposition of stronger punishments,” he said.
DPP Legislator Lo Chih-cheng (羅致政) said that the Chungshan institute is managed by the Minsitry of National Defense for research and production of advanced indigenous-made weapons, which is different from incorporated institutes that focus on education and culture.
“Applying regular laws on government procurement is insufficient to deter corruption and fraud within military and national security areas,” he said.
Lo also accused the institute of negligence and dereliction of duty.
“Regarding the Sky Bow missile incident, the critical phase was in examining and testing the product. Institute officials should have prevention measures and stricter oversight mechanisms to determine whether the components originated in China,” he said.
The institute should do more to deter fraud, graft and forgery, Lo added.
Chinese Nationalist Party (KMT) Chairman Eric Chu (朱立倫), spokeswoman Yang Chih-yu (楊智伃) and Legislator Hsieh Lung-chieh (謝龍介) would be summoned by police for questioning for leading an illegal assembly on Thursday evening last week, Minister of the Interior Liu Shyh-fang (劉世芳) said today. The three KMT officials led an assembly outside the Taipei City Prosecutors’ Office, a restricted area where public assembly is not allowed, protesting the questioning of several KMT staff and searches of KMT headquarters and offices in a recall petition forgery case. Chu, Yang and Hsieh are all suspected of contravening the Assembly and Parade Act (集會遊行法) by holding
PRAISE: Japanese visitor Takashi Kubota said the Taiwanese temple architecture images showcased in the AI Art Gallery were the most impressive displays he saw Taiwan does not have an official pavilion at the World Expo in Osaka, Japan, because of its diplomatic predicament, but the government-backed Tech World pavilion is drawing interest with its unique recreations of works by Taiwanese artists. The pavilion features an artificial intelligence (AI)-based art gallery showcasing works of famous Taiwanese artists from the Japanese colonial period using innovative technologies. Among its main simulated displays are Eastern gouache paintings by Chen Chin (陳進), Lin Yu-shan (林玉山) and Kuo Hsueh-hu (郭雪湖), who were the three young Taiwanese painters selected for the East Asian Painting exhibition in 1927. Gouache is a water-based
Taiwan would welcome the return of Honduras as a diplomatic ally if its next president decides to make such a move, Minister of Foreign Affairs Lin Chia-lung (林佳龍) said yesterday. “Of course, we would welcome Honduras if they want to restore diplomatic ties with Taiwan after their elections,” Lin said at a meeting of the legislature’s Foreign Affairs and National Defense Committee, when asked to comment on statements made by two of the three Honduran presidential candidates during the presidential campaign in the Central American country. Taiwan is paying close attention to the region as a whole in the wake of a
OFF-TARGET: More than 30,000 participants were expected to take part in the Games next month, but only 6,550 foreign and 19,400 Taiwanese athletes have registered Taipei city councilors yesterday blasted the organizers of next month’s World Masters Games over sudden timetable and venue changes, which they said have caused thousands of participants to back out of the international sporting event, among other organizational issues. They also cited visa delays and political interference by China as reasons many foreign athletes are requesting refunds for the event, to be held from May 17 to 30. Jointly organized by the Taipei and New Taipei City governments, the games have been rocked by numerous controversies since preparations began in 2020. Taipei City Councilor Lin Yen-feng (林延鳳) said yesterday that new measures by
RSS