The KMT yesterday said PFP Chairman James Soong (
"The Chung Hsing Bills Finance case has nothing to do with Soong," said head of the KMT Administration and Management Committee Chang Che-chen (張哲琛) at a press conference yesterday. "The misunderstanding between the party and Soong over this matter is now over and comes to a close."
Held at the KMT's headquarters, the purpose of the press conference was to clarify accusations the party once made against Soong over his alleged embezzlement.
The accusation was made three years ago when Soong was expelled from the KMT for running his own maverick campaign in the 2000 presidential elections. Soong, who ran as an independent, obtained 36 percent of the vote, while Lien, the KMT candidate, came in at a distant third with 23 percent.
During the campaign, the KMT filed a lawsuit against Soong, accusing him of embezzling large sums from party coffers during his tenure as the party's secretary-general. After the election, prosecutors said there wasn't enough evidence to try the Chung Hsing Bills Finance case and the KMT dropped the charges.
It was during that time that the KMT ran a series of negative advertisements targeting Soong's credibility.
"The KMT is deeply sorry for having caused any inconvenience or damage to Soong because of remarks made by KMT officials during the [2000] presidential election," Chang said.
Chang explained Soong's alleged embezzlement by saying that the transactions Soong was involved entailed funds entrusted to Soong by former party chairman Lee Teng-hui (李登輝) to perform various task on the party's agenda.
With regard to another accusation made by the party during the 2000 presidential campaign that Soong had embezzled government money while serving as Taiwan provincial governor, Chang explained that the accusation "was a result of being unfamiliar with government financial allocation procedure."
Chang said that the party's accusation against Soong with regard to embezzlement "has all been a result of misunderstanding."
"The KMT hereby makes the clarification to clear Soong's name and hopes that both parties can let bygones be bygones and move ahead in good faith to work together for a better tomorrow for Taiwan," Chang said.
Media speculation suggests that the KMT made the effort to clear Soong's name as a peace offering to Soong to get him to agree with the KMT's preference for fielding KMT Chairman Lien Chan (連戰) as the presidential candidate.
Denying that the clarification of Soong's charges was motivated by next year's presidential elections, Chang stressed that the only reason behind the party's motive to make the gesture was to let the truth be known.
On behalf of Soong, Chen Cheng-sheng (
Chen said that "Soong has never embezzled a dime from the KMT nor the government and is glad that the KMT's remarks have cleared his name which had been tarnished by the party's previous accusations."
Chen added that "Soong is willing to let bygones be bygones and will now move ahead with his eyes focused, not on the past, but on the future."
Also see story:
The Thai government on Friday announced that Taiwanese would be allowed to stay in the country for up to 60 days per entry, under the Southeast Asian country’s visa-free program starting from today. Taiwan is among 93 countries included in the Thai visa-waiver program, which has been expanded from 57 countries, with the visa-exempt entry extended from 30 to 60 days. After taking office last year, Thai Prime Minister Srettha Thavisin has vowed to grant more visa waivers to foreign travelers as part of efforts to stimulate tourism. The expanded visa-waiver program was on Friday signed by Thai Minister of the Interior Anutin
BAIL APPEALS: The former vice premier was ordered to be held incommunicado despite twice being granted bail and paying a total of NT$12 million in bond The Taoyuan District Court yesterday ordered the detention of former vice premier Cheng Wen-tsan (鄭文燦), who is being investigated for alleged corruption while serving as Taoyuan mayor from December 2014 to December 2022, and that he be held incommunicado. The court made the ruling during a bail hearing after prosecutors appealed its bail ruling twice. Cheng on Saturday was released after posting bail of NT$5 million (US$153,818). However, after prosecutors lodged an appeal, the High Court on Monday revoked the original ruling and ordered the Taoyuan District Court to hold another bail hearing. On Tuesday, the district court granted bail to Cheng a second
PEACE AND SECURITY: China’s military ambitions present ‘the greatest strategic challenge to Japan and the world, Japan’s annual defense white paper said yesterday Japan yesterday warned that China risked escalating tensions with Taiwan with an increase in military exercises that appeared aimed in part at readying Beijing’s forces for a possible invasion. Japan’s annual assessment of security threats, including those posed by China, North Korea and Russia, comes as Taiwan closely monitors Chinese People’s Liberation Army air and sea exercises, including one with the Shandong aircraft carrier in the Pacific Ocean. The drills are the latest in a series including maneuvers in the Taiwan Strait last year that a senior US general said would be key to any invasion. “Because of that increase in military activity,
HAN KUANG: The exercises, which are to run from July 22 to 26, will feature unscripted war games and a decentralized command and control structure, military officers said The armed forces would for the first time test new rules of engagement (ROE) at this month’s annual Han Kuang exercises, the Ministry of National Defense (MND) said yesterday. The exercises, which are to run from July 22 to 26, will feature unscripted war games, and a decentralized command and control structure, military officers told a news conference in Taipei. ROE cards would be issued to select combat troops to test their ability to function without tight control, they said. The most recent edition of the rules was published last year, they said. One of the cards’ two templates identifies enemy targets that soldiers