Cheng Hung-huei (鄭宏輝) has been dismissed from his role as an unpaid administrative consultant to the Cabinet, Premier Chen Chien-jen (陳建仁) said on Wednesday, following sexual assault allegations against the former Hsinchu city councilor.
At a morning news conference, Chinese Nationalist Party (KMT) Taipei City Councilor Yu Shu-hui (游淑慧) accused Cheng of sexually assaulting a woman while giving her a ride home two years ago.
Cheng, a Democratic Progressive Party member who serves as chairman of Chunghwa Telecom (中華電信) subsidiary Senao International (神腦國際), denied the allegations, calling it a political attack.
Photo: Taipei Times files
Asked about the issue before an afternoon news conference, the premier said that Cheng had been dismissed in accordance with government regulations, as implication in a sexual harassment case would have contravened eligibility criteria at the time of employment.
The Ministry of Transportation and Communications has also been asked to set up a committee to investigate the allegations, Chen added.
Earlier in the day, Minister of Transportation and Communications Wang Kwo-tsai (王國材) said he had requested that Chunghwa Telecom suspend Cheng and launch an investigation.
If the committee finds wrongdoing, the telecom has been instructed to dismiss Cheng, he added.
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