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Lin Yi-shih quits
amid bribery claims
‘CORRUPTION’: A DPP lawmaker said he had been
given an audio tape in which Lin asked a businessman to give him NT$83 million
and indicated how the payment should be made
By Shih Hsiu-chuanand Rich Chang / Staff reporters
Premier Sean Chen yesterday accepted the resignation of Lin Yi-shih (林益世) as the
Executive Yuan’s secretary-general following allegations of bribery.
“I respected his decision and accepted his resignation,” Chen said, adding that
Lin had offered to resign during a late-night chat on Thursday and that Lin’s
letter of resignation was delivered to his office yesterday morning.
Chen Chi-hsiang (陳啟祥), head of Ti Yung Co (地勇選礦公司), a metal-recycling company,
has accused Lin of accepting a bribe of NT$63 million (US$2.15 million) for
helping him secure procurement contracts from China Steel Corp (中鋼) and two of
its subsidiaries in 2010, and of asking him for a further NT$83 million this
year.
Lin has flatly denied claims of irregularities after the Chinese--language Next
Magazine published Chen’s accusation on Wednesday. However, discrepancies in the
statements he made at two press conferences on Wednesday and Thursday on the
number of times he had met with Chen have raised further questions about his
involvement in the case.
Lin said on Wednesday that he met Chen only once, on March 10 this year at his
home, but on Thursday, he changed his account and said he had also met Chen on
Feb. 25 this year and March 10 last year, after the Chinese-language United
Daily News on Thursday published two photographs taken on March 10 last year
showing Lin and Chen walking out of a building together.
Chen said Lin tried to solicit a bribe of NT$83 million when they met on Feb. 25
and March 10 this year.
More developments unfavorable to Lin emerged yesterday.
Democratic Progressive Party Legislator Chao Tien-lin (趙天麟) said he was
approached by a friend of Chen at 11pm on Thursday and given an audio recording
of a telephone conversation between Chen and Lin on March 10 this year.
Chao told a press conference that in the recording, Lin not only asked Chen to
give him NT$83 million, but also instructed Chen to give him the money in three
installments.
“I listened to the phone recording last night [Thursday]. I’m very sure it’s
Lin’s voice. In the conversation, he asked Chen to give him NT$30 million as
first payment, NT$30 million as the second and NT$23 million as the third and
last payment. The cellphone recording is proof that the allegations of bribery
against Lin are true,” Chao said.
Chao said he could not play the audio tape in public to protect the person who
gave it to him.
In response, Lin urged Chao and the “friend of Chen” to present the tape to
prosecutors for investigation, adding that he was willing to confront his
accuser at the prosecutors’ office.
The Special Prosecutors’ Office Special Investigation Division (SID) yesterday
listed Lin as a defendant in an investigation.
The SID said in a press statement that prosecutors had also subpoenaed Chen for
questioning. Because Chen failed to show up, the SID said it might soon issue a
warrant of arrest.
When the DPP asked why the SID had not summoned Lin for questioning and insists
on questioning Chen first, the SID said that under the Code of Criminal
Procedure, it is obligated to question the witness first before deciding
whether, when and how to summon the accused for questioning.
The 44-year-old Lin, a four-term lawmaker who lost his bid for re-election in
January, said in a written statement yesterday that he had tried many times
through his lawyer to get in contact with the SID to clarify the case, but that
his attempts have been unsuccessful.
Lin said he offered to resign because he felt “deeply guilty” that the
government had been implicated because of the corruption allegations.
Lin described the allegations as “political assassination” aimed at destroying
his career.
In the face of the “fabricated allegations,” Lin said he had to resign to show
his determination to prove his innocence and concentrate on the case.
Lin’s position will be temporarily taken over by Executive Yuan Deputy
Secretary-General Steven Chen (陳士魁), Cabinet spokesperson Hu Yu-wei (胡幼偉) said.
Taiwan Solidarity Union Legislator Hsu Chun-hsin (許忠信) said his caucus would
propose establishing an investigation committee on the alleged corruption case
in the legislature when lawmakers convene for the extra session beginning on
July 25.
This story has been updated since first posted.
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