Minister of National Defense Chiu Kuo-cheng (邱國正) yesterday apologized to the public on behalf of his son, who is being investigated for allegedly soliciting prostitutes, but pledged to stay in his post after the president declined to approve his resignation over the matter last week.
“I am sorry that my son’s behavior has caused problems for everyone involved,” Chiu told reporters at the legislature in Taipei.
Chiu said his apology is particularly for the National Security Bureau where his son works, due to the time and money the bureau is spending in investigating the allegations.
Photo: Fang Pin-chao, Taipei Times
He had talked with his son, told him to take responsibility for his behavior and asked him to accept any punishment the bureau deems appropriate, he said.
Chiu told reporters that he learned of the controversy involving his son on Thursday last week and decided to tell President Tsai Ing-wen (蔡英文) of his intention to resign later that day, so that his family matters would not impact his official duties.
After the president asked him to stay on, Chiu said he took half a day off on Friday and resumed his official duties from noon that day.
He pledged to continue to perform his duty as defense minister diligently and not let the matter affect his job.
The Chinese-language news Web site Yi Media early on Thursday last week reported the allegations about Chiu’s son soliciting prostitutes. The site claimed to be in possession of intimate images and video clips, but did not publish them. Some of the clips have since circulated online.
In response, the bureau the same day said that it had started an investigation.
A person who solicits a prostitute and the prostitute can be fined a maximum of NT$30,000 for breaching the Social Order Maintenance Act (社會秩序維護法).
Lawmakers and political pundits have speculated that the allegations were made as part of infighting between the National Security Bureau and the Ministry of National Defense, to prevent Chiu from being promoted to other senior posts after May 20 when Tsai ends her second four-year term as president and is succeeded by president-elect William Lai (賴清德).
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