Prosecutors to grill Taiwan opposition leader on expenses
By Xue Ling,WNS Taipei Correspondent
TAIPEI - Taiwan's opposition leader, Taipei Mayor Ma Ying-jeou, will be questioned Tuesday over the alleged misuse of "special expenses", in a new twist to the scandals plaguing President Chen Shui-bian. Ma on Sunday confirmed reports that he would be "interviewed" by a prosecutor after legislators from the ruling Democratic Progressive Party (DPP) demanded a probe into what they said was Ma's embezzlement of his monthly "special expenses", for use on public affairs. DPP legislator Wang Shih-cheng compared the charges against Ma with those targeting Chen. "Ma should be reviewed by the same standards. He should be indicted," Wang said. The DPP claimed Ma had violated the law by directly remitting half of his 340,000 (10,300 US) Taiwan-dollar monthly "special expenses" into his personal account, rather than using the sum on public affairs.
However, Ma, chairman of the Kuomintang (KMT), snubbed the allegations. "I will cooperate with authorities in the investigation. I believe this will help clarify the allegations. This should not be overstated," he said. The KMT said the DPP was creating the event to mislead the public while diverting attention away from the high-profile alleged scandals implicating the president and his wife. Taiwan's parliament agreed Friday last week to vote on a recall motion later this month aimed at ousting President Chen, after his wife Wu Shu-chen was indicted for allegedly embezzling 14.8 million (450,000 US) Taiwan dollars of state funds, in a case that sent political shockwaves through the nation.
Observers said the motion, the third of its kind, had no chance of passing the legislature, as the KMT and its ally the People First Party hold only 112 seats, well short of the required 147 votes, or two-thirds of the 220 legislators. The two previous votes on a recall failed to pass, in June and October, due to a lack of support. Prosecutors have also named Chen as a suspect, but he was spared immediate prosecution due to presidential immunity. The president can only be prosecuted after he resigns or leaves office. Chen's second and final mandate runs until May 2008. Chen has admitted using false receipts to claim money from a fund set aside for affairs of national importance, but insisted it was used for "secret diplomatic missions" which he could not disclose. Prosecutors, however, found that at least 1.5 million Taiwan dollars was spent on diamond rings and other luxury items for Wu. The president has blasted the embezzlement allegations as unacceptable and said he would resign only if his wife was found guilty.
posted by wnsworld @ 9:02 PM
0 Comments:
Post a Comment
<< Home