|
DPP officials
detained for questioning in new probe
SMOKESCREEN: The party said the government was
trying to distract attention from the Lin Yi-shih case, which is threatening to
engulf the Ma administration
By Rich Chang / Staff reporter
Staff look on as investigators
from the Chiayi District Prosecutors’ Office and the Ministry of Justice’s
Investigation Bureau impound computers and documents from an office of the
Chiayi County Government yesterday.
Photo: CNA
Investigators yesterday summoned two
Democratic Progressive Party (DPP) politicians in Chiayi County for questioning
on suspicion of involvement in an irregular construction bid, in a move that the
opposition said may have been politically motivated.
The Chiayi District Prosecutors’ Office said in a press statement that DPP
Chiayi County Commissioner Helen Chang (張花冠) and DPP Legislator Chen Ming-wen
(陳明文), who is a former Chiayi county commissioner, as well as a number of county
officials were summoned for questioning in the morning.
Former Council for Economic Planning and Development vice chairman Chang
Ching-sen (張景森) and a contractor, Chun Lung Development Co (春龍開發公司) chairman Pan
chung-hao (潘中豪), were also questioned.
A total of 60 people were questioned, the office said. Questioning was ongoing
as of press time last night.
The office said that 13 prosecutors with the Chiayi District Prosecutors’ Office
led 150 agents from the Ministry of Justice Investigation Bureau (MJIB) to
search the county government, Chang’s residence, her daughter’s residence and
other targets.
The prosecutors’ office said the investigation was looking into the Dapumei
(大埔美) Intelligent Industrial Park at the Dapumei Herbs Park, which was a
build-operate-transfer (BOT) project.
The prosecutors said that in the proposal, the county government and the
contractor each provided NT$1.5 billion (US$50 million) for the project, while
Chun Lung Development Co won a public tender held by the county government.
Prosecutors said they suspected Pan had bribed Helen Chang, Chang Ching-sen and
Chen Ming-wen with “several million” or “tens of millions” of New Taiwan dollars
to ensure his company obtained the project.
County government spokeswoman Hsu Shu-fen (許淑芬) told a press conference that 16
government officials, including Helen Chang, were summoned for questioning.
Vice Commissioner Lin Mei-chu (林美珠) said she had convened a meeting for chief
officials of the county government, adding that she believed the county
government was clean and innocent, and hoped that all officials could continue
to work as hard as usual.
Lin said the county government had contacted the families of the officials who
were being questioned and would keep them informed of the developments in the
case.
Responding to the raids, DPP spokesperson Wang Min-sheng (王閔生) said that as the
investigation into a corruption scandal involving former Executive Yuan
secretary-general Lin Yi-shih (林益世), which has threatened to engulf the Chinese
Nationalist Party (KMT) and Vice President Wu Den-yih (吳敦義), was ongoing, the
sudden raid at the Chiayi County Government could be an attempt by prosecutors
to shift attention away from the KMT administration.
Wang said the launch of the investigation was suspicious and could very well be
motivated by politics.
Additional reporting by CNA
|
