Chinese Nationalist Party (KMT) legislators yesterday criticized the decision to appoint J.W. Kuo (郭智輝) as minister of economic affairs-designate, saying that he has a “morally dubious character,” has close ties to China and is a known donor to the Democratic Progressive Party (DPP).
KMT Legislator Huang Chien-hao (黃健豪) said Kuo in 2005 was indicted and found guilty of contravening the Securities and Exchange Act (證券交易法) for agreeing to sell, but failing to deliver a chip manufacturing plant to a Singapore-based company.
Huang said Kuo failed to deliver despite receiving a down payment of US$5 million and that he breached accounting regulations.
Photo: George Tsorng, Taipei Times
If Kuo’s appointment goes through, he would serve alongside minister of national defense designate Wellington Koo (顧立雄), the lawyer who defended him, which could indicate some impropriety, Huang said.
KMT Legislator Wang Hung-wei (王鴻薇) cited data showing that TOPCO Group, which Kuo chairs, has branches in 12 Chinese cities, while five of its subsidiaries are registered in China.
Wang said that DPP supporters would have had a field day with that information had it been Hon Hai Precision Industry Co founder Terry Gou (郭台銘).
Gou was often targeted during both of his bids for president for having a conflict of interest if elected, as his company was mostly based in China.
President-elect William Lai (賴清德) seems to be perfectly content with abandoning the “fight against China” card now the election is over, Wang said.
Kuo is nefarious in the sports industry after he reneged on his 2014 promise to become involved in the nation’s professional baseball league, before announcing in 2022 that he would not become involved.
Sports fans have said that Kuo is “very suited” to being minister of economic affairs as he would often have to paint a rosy picture, Wang said.
Separately, TOPCO Group yesterday said that the appointment of officials does not have to observe the Civil Servants Employment Act (公務人員任用法).
The company said that appointing Kuo did not contravene Article 28 of the act or the Council of Grand Justices Constitutional Interpretation No. 56.
Regarding allegations that the group had helped China build a semiconductor manufacturing plant, the company said that one of its subsidiaries in Suzhou, China, had agreed to process wastewater for Pengxinwei, but the contract did not involve semiconductor materials.
Responding to Kuo allegedly backtracking on his words about becoming involved with the baseball league, the company said that over the past few years it has come to the understanding that managing a Taiwanese baseball team would require the company to assess whether it was suitable based on the scale of the company’s business in the domestic market.
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