Former president Ma Ying-jeou’s (馬英九) associates yesterday accused former Ma Ying-jeou Foundation CEO Hsiao Hsu-tsen (蕭旭岑) of reporting neither donations he received nor a meeting he had with China’s Taiwan Affairs Office Director Song Tao (宋濤).
Former National Security Council secretary-general King Pu-tsung (金溥聰) and foundation CEO Tai Hsia-ling (戴遐齡) made the accusations at a news conference in Taipei a day after a three-member panel said its investigation into Ma’s financial misconduct allegations against Hsiao and former CEO Wang Kuang-tzu (王光慈) found no evidence of wrongdoing.
King, who said he acted on behalf of Ma, showed a photograph of Hsiao holding cash next to Xiamen Taiwan Businessmen Association chairman Han Ying-huan (韓螢煥).
Photo: Wang Yi-sung, Taipei Times
Hsiao said he was not responsible for handling money at the foundation, but photos recovered from Wang’s computer hard drive allegedly showed him receiving donations from Han in October 2023, although there are no records of the transaction in the foundation’s accounts, King said.
Wang in two separate incidents allegedly gave NT$1.2 million (US$38,132) to a foundation staff member, he said.
The staff member was doubtful about the source of the money and took photographs of it, and Wang took it back soon after the person left the foundation, he said.
Wang allegedly gave out NT$1.46 million in year-end bonuses at the foundation’s annual banquet on Feb. 10, he said, adding that she also handed the staff an unknown amount in performance bonuses.
Ma was not invited to the banquet and did not know about the bonuses, King said.
Wang allegedly told attendees to the banquet that the bonuses were funded by donations from overseas Taiwanese businesspeople, and they were non-taxable, he said.
Given that such cash payments were not recorded in the foundation’s books, Wang has violated financial discipline, King said.
Wang also had the sole authority on salary amounts at the foundation, and Ma did not ask about the matter out of trust, he said.
The foundation is a non-profit spending NT$10.2 million annually on salaries, and Hsiao’s and Wang’s salaries totaled about NT$5 million, King said.
Whether their high salaries conformed to the principle of proportionality is questionable, he said, adding that Ma “did not receive a dime” from the foundation.
Tai said the foundation’s investigation results deviate greatly from the panel’s.
Ma does not accept the panel’s findings and doubts whether the panel members covered up facts to shield Hsiao and Wang, Tai said.
Hsiao last year traveled to China and met with Song soon after he was appointed as Chinese Nationalist Party (KMT) deputy chairman, but did not inform Ma of it, she said.
Ma did not attend yesterday’s news conference, as recent media coverage on the matter made him think that he might not be treated fairly, King said.
Hsiao yesterday said that he reported all his China visits to Ma, and that such visits could not be concealed due to media coverage.
Regarding off-the-books donations, he said the money was from companies that donated to Ma personally instead of the foundation.
Hsiao said he had asked Ma how to handle the donations in March 2024.
Ma instructed that the donations be used for public purposes, he said, adding the photograph presented by King was one of such donations.
Hsiao said he would file lawsuits against King and organizers of yesterday’s news conference for spreading false information.
Han yesterday said he donated NT$1 million in cash to Ma in the photograph taken in 2023.
Hsiao was accepting the money on behalf of Ma, and it had nothing to do with the foundation, he added.
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