The Hualien County Government today said it would file a lawsuit against Pegatron chairman Tung Tzu-hsien (童子賢) over what it called "false accusations" that local officials blocked his efforts to assist earthquake-hit schools.
Tung alleged in a video released the same day that he and Pegatron donated more than NT$70 million (US$2.39 million) following Hualien earthquake last year, but were warned against giving the money to the county government by an experienced charity worker.
Photo: CNA
"At first I didn't believe it," Tung said in the video released by civic group New Beginning Hualien, a civic organization supporting a recall campaign against Legislator Fu Kun-chi (傅崐萁) of the Chinese Nationalist Party (KMT) representing the county.
"But after asking around, I discovered it was really like that," Tung said.
He said that when his team later tried to provide direct help to an elementary school, the Hualien County Government threatened the school and insisted all aid be donated directly to the county government.
Tung, who was born in the county's Rueisuei Township (瑞穗), said his group instead sent construction teams to repair damaged buildings because he did not want "disaster-stricken institutions being threatened."
Tung also criticized Fu and his wife, Hualien County Commissioner Hsu Chen-wei (徐榛蔚), for their "more-than-20-years monopoly" on power in Hualien County, which he said had "cut off opportunities for young people."
In a news release, the Hualien County Government denied Tung's accusations and said it had "not received any relevant information" about the NT$70 million donation.
It said private donors can give directly to schools through a school-based donation program, and added that procedures had been simplified to encourage public contributions.
Chen Chien-tsun (陳建村), director of Hualien County Government's Research and Administration Department, said Tung's remarks were unverified and appeared politically motivated.
Tung returned to his home county yesterday to campaign for the recall movement against Fu.
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