After nearly a year of investigation, prosecutors yesterday handed down indictments against nine former naval officers over the high-profile scandals surrounding the purchases of French Lafayette frigates and German-made minesweeper components.
Of the nine men indicted, six were for the Lafayette case and three were for the minesweeper components case.
Prosecutors said the navy had inflated the prices of the six Lafayette frigates and illegally benefited the French manufacturer Thomson-CSF the sum of 2.4 billion francs, or NT$10.8 billion.
Of the nine indicted former naval officers, the highest-ranking was the former naval commander-in-chief, Admiral Yeh Chang-tung (
Former vice admiral Lei Hsueh-ming (雷學明) was indicted with the prosecutors' recommendation to the court that he be sentenced to 14 years -- the harshest request in these two cases.
The two cases represent part of a complicated series of arms purchase mysteries believed to be linked to the 1993 murder of navy captain Yin Ching-feng (
But concerning the Lafayette case, the prosecutors in the indictment did not present evidence showing the accused had taken any kickbacks, triggering questions that the indictments were made improperly.
"[Prosecutors] should let the evidence speak for itself. The prosecutors don't have any evidence that I can see," Lei Hsueh-ming said yesterday, adding that he was amazed by the actions taken.
"The prosecutors, who have been investigating the flow of money [in the case] never found any improper monetary transactions between these [indicted] people," said Joanna Lei (
State Public Prosecutor General Lu Jen-fa (盧仁發), however, said the indicted naval officers had provided the French side excess profits. "As for whether there were kickbacks and commissions, we are still investigating," Lu said.
But former captain Kang Shih-chun (康世淳) indicted in the Lafayette scandal called the indictment "entirely political" in nature.
"[The prosecutors] are just doing whatever they can to appease the president in the wake of his demand that the `investigation should be carried out even if it shakes the nation to its very foundation,'" Kang said.
Joanna Lei also said that rumors were circulating among the special investigation force that the indictments were hastily handed down because the prosecutors had been ordered to close the case within a year.
Under direct order from President Chen Shui-bian (
Taiwan changed its original plan of buying frigates from South Korea to sourcing them from France in 1989.
According to the prosecutors, Lei Hsuen-ming and other officials in charge produced false performance data on Lafayette frigates and inflated the price, knowing that the frigates did not meet requirements and disregarding orders by their superiors to knock down the price.
As for the minesweeper case, the indictment said that former navy commander Yuan Yu-fan (袁友范) had embezzled more than NT$10 million in interest that the fund for the purchase had accrued. It said Yen Chang-tung had learned of Yuan's offense but failed to take the proper action of sending him to military prosecutors.
Lu went on to say that the investigation into the murder of captain Yin will also continue.
Yin, who until his suspicious death was in charge of navy procurements, was allegedly about to blow the whistle on the corruption surrounding the navy purchases when he was killed.
The Lafayette scandal also rocked the political establishment in France, where former foreign minister Roland Dumas was forced to resign as head of the Constitutional Council -- France's top legal authority -- last year.
SECURITY: As China is ‘reshaping’ Hong Kong’s population, Taiwan must raise the eligibility threshold for applications from Hong Kongers, Chiu Chui-cheng said When Hong Kong and Macau citizens apply for residency in Taiwan, it would be under a new category that includes a “national security observation period,” Mainland Affairs Council (MAC) Minister Chiu Chui-cheng (邱垂正) said yesterday. President William Lai (賴清德) on March 13 announced 17 strategies to counter China’s aggression toward Taiwan, including incorporating national security considerations into the review process for residency applications from Hong Kong and Macau citizens. The situation in Hong Kong is constantly changing, Chiu said to media yesterday on the sidelines of the Taipei Technology Run hosted by the Taipei Neihu Technology Park Development Association. With
CARROT AND STICK: While unrelenting in its military threats, China attracted nearly 40,000 Taiwanese to over 400 business events last year Nearly 40,000 Taiwanese last year joined industry events in China, such as conferences and trade fairs, supported by the Chinese government, a study showed yesterday, as Beijing ramps up a charm offensive toward Taipei alongside military pressure. China has long taken a carrot-and-stick approach to Taiwan, threatening it with the prospect of military action while reaching out to those it believes are amenable to Beijing’s point of view. Taiwanese security officials are wary of what they see as Beijing’s influence campaigns to sway public opinion after Taipei and Beijing gradually resumed travel links halted by the COVID-19 pandemic, but the scale of
A US Marine Corps regiment equipped with Naval Strike Missiles (NSM) is set to participate in the upcoming Balikatan 25 exercise in the Luzon Strait, marking the system’s first-ever deployment in the Philippines. US and Philippine officials have separately confirmed that the Navy Marine Expeditionary Ship Interdiction System (NMESIS) — the mobile launch platform for the Naval Strike Missile — would take part in the joint exercise. The missiles are being deployed to “a strategic first island chain chokepoint” in the waters between Taiwan proper and the Philippines, US-based Naval News reported. “The Luzon Strait and Bashi Channel represent a critical access
Pope Francis is be laid to rest on Saturday after lying in state for three days in St Peter’s Basilica, where the faithful are expected to flock to pay their respects to history’s first Latin American pontiff. The cardinals met yesterday in the Vatican’s synod hall to chart the next steps before a conclave begins to choose Francis’ successor, as condolences poured in from around the world. According to current norms, the conclave must begin between May 5 and 10. The cardinals set the funeral for Saturday at 10am in St Peter’s Square, to be celebrated by the dean of the College