A civic organization and a group of lawyers filed a judicial complaint with the High Prosecutors’ Office in Taipei yesterday against Chinese Nationalist Party (KMT) caucus whip Fu Kun-chi (傅?萁), accusing him of treason and contravening the Anti-Infiltration Act (反滲透法).
Fu led a delegation of 17 KMT legislators to Beijing in April last year, held talks with Chinese People’s Political Consultative Conference Chairman Wang Huning (王滬寧) and soon after returning, Fu and other KMT members urged the Cabinet to open up direct shipping links to the city of Pingtan in China’s Fujian Province, Economic Democracy Union (EDU) researcher Tu Ching-liang (涂景亮) said.
KMT Legislators Hsu Yu-chen (許宇甄), Hsu Hsin-ying (徐欣瑩) and Niu Hsu-ting (牛煦庭) made a similar request.
Photo: Tu Chien-jung, Taipei Times
The moves are evidence that Chinese leaders instructed Fu to lobby the government to implement the plan, Tu said.
In doing so, Fu contravened Article 5 of the Anti-Infiltration Act by lobbying on behalf of a foreign hostile state, Tu said, adding that Fu’s actions are a serious undermining of national security.
Fu visited Hong Kong on Feb. 19 and met with a number of Hong Kong Legislative Council members and tourism officials, claiming to represent “Taiwan’s central government” and promised to provide subsidies for Hong Kong residents to travel to Taiwan, EDU convener and attorney Lai Chung-chiang (賴中強) said.
That move, by representing the government without authorization, contravened the Criminal Code and the Act Governing Relations with Hong Kong and Macau (香港澳門關係條例), he added.
Separately, Democratic Progressive Party (DPP) officials yesterday initiated a lawsuit against Fu, demanding NT$2 million (US$60,759) in compensation for his remarks accusing the DPP of “allocating government funds to buy media outlets and attack opposition party members.”
DPP spokesman Justin Wu (吳崢) and attorney Huang Di-ying (黃帝穎) said Fu failed to present any evidence and must bear the legal responsibility for false accusation and defamation.
Wu said that during his tenure as Hualien County commissioner in 2017 and 2018, through his then-deputy Hsieh Kong-ping (謝公秉) and other county government officials, Fu used NT$5.466 million of government funds to pay journalists to produce “favorable news reports.”
“Fu accused the DPP of buying the media, but he is the one with experience in that,” Wu said.
Aftershocks from a magnitude 6.2 earthquake that struck off Yilan County at 3:45pm yesterday could reach a magnitude of 5 to 5.5, the Central Weather Administration (CWA) said. Seismological Center technical officer Chiu Chun-ta (邱俊達) told a news conference that the epicenter of the temblor was more than 100km from Taiwan. Although predicted to measure between magnitude 5 and 5.5, the aftershocks would reach an intensity of 1 on Taiwan’s 7-tier scale, which gauges the actual effect of an earthquake, he said. The earthquake lasted longer in Taipei because the city is in a basin, he said. The quake’s epicenter was about 128.9km east-southeast
GENSLER SURVEY: ‘Economic infrastructure is not enough. A city needs to inspire pride, offer moments of joy and foster a sense of belonging,’ the company said Taipei was named the city with the “highest staying power” in the world by US-based design and architecture firm Gensler. The Taiwanese capital earned the top spot among 65 cities across six continents with 64 percent of Taipei respondents in a survey of 33,000 people saying they wanted to stay in the city. Rounding out the top five were Vietnam’s Ho Chi Minh City (61 percent), Singapore (59 percent), Sydney (58 percent) and Berlin (51 percent). Sixth to 10th place went to Monterrey, Mexico; Munich, Germany; Sao Paulo, Brazil; Vancouver; and Seoul. Cities in the US were ranked separately, with Minneapolis first at
The New Taipei City Government today warned about the often-overlooked dangers of playing in water, and recommended safe swimming destinations to cool off from the summer heat. The following locations in the city as safe and fun for those looking to enjoy the water: Chienshuiwan (淺水灣), Baishawan (白沙灣), Jhongjiao Bay (中角灣), Fulong Beach Resort (福隆海水浴場) and Sansia District’s (三峽) Dabao River (大豹溪), New Taipei City Tourism and Travel Department Director-General Yang Tsung-min (楊宗珉) said. Outdoor bodies of water have variables outside of human control, such as changing currents, differing elevations and environmental hazards, all of which can lead to accidents, Yang said. Sudden
Tropical Storm Podul has formed over waters north-northeast of Guam and is expected to approach the seas southeast of Taiwan next week, the Central Weather Administration (CWA) said today. The 11th Pacific storm of the year developed at 2am over waters about 2,660km east of Oluanpi (歐鑾鼻), Pingtung County — Taiwan's southernmost tip. It is projected to move westward and could have its most significant impact on Taiwan on Wednesday and Thursday next week, the CWA said. The agency did not rule out the possibility of issuing a sea warning at that time. According to the CWA's latest update, Podul is drifting west-northwest
RSS