Taipei Mayor Ko Wen-je (柯文哲) yesterday bowed and apologized to Taipei city councilors for losing his temper while attending a council meeting last week.
Ko said he had already called Taipei City Council Speaker Wu Pi-chu (吳碧珠) of the Chinese Nationalist Party (KMT) to offer his apology immediately after the incident.
“You just have to correct mistakes. I deserve the criticism I received,” Ko said.
Photo: Fang Pin-chao, Taipei Times
Ko on Wednesday last week angrily pounded his desk after KMT Taipei City Councilor William Hsu (徐宏庭) accused him of being partial to former EasyCard Corp chairman Tai Chi-chuan (戴季全) and insinuated that he and Tai had a “special/sexual” relationship (特殊性關係).
EasyCard, a semi-governmental company in which the Taipei City Government is the largest shareholder, mainly issues smart stored-value cards called EasyCards that are used to pay for fares on Taipei’s MRT and bus system.
The desk-pounding incident occurred one day after Ko decided to propose to EasyCard’s board that Tai be removed as chairman, but retained as general manager, following Tai’s controversial decision to issue EasyCards featuring photographs of Japanese adult video star Yui Hatano.
The personnel change was widely criticized as meaningless, because as general manager, Tai would remain the company’s top administrator.
Many believe that Tai received favorable treatment because he served as Ko’s campaign director in last year’s mayoral race.
Ko yesterday told city councilors that he had asked Tai to resign as EasyCard chairman and general manager, and that he has called for an investigation.
Tai and the company have been rebuked by the public, especially by women’s groups, since it announced on Aug. 26 that it was collaborating with Hatano to introduce a two-card limited edition series to raise money for charity.
Although the company said that all 15,000 sets of the cards were sold out via telephone preordering services on Sept. 1, it was later discovered that the firm had reserved 3,000 sets of the cards in advance for sale to its own workers or as gifts to Taipei City councilors and Taipei City Government officials.
Tropical Storm Gaemi strengthened into a typhoon at 2pm yesterday, and could make landfall in Yilan County tomorrow, the Central Weather Administration (CWA) said yesterday. The agency was scheduled to issue a sea warning at 11:30pm yesterday, and could issue a land warning later today. Gaemi was moving north-northwest at 4kph, carrying maximum sustained winds near its center of up to 118.8kph and gusts of 154.8kph. The circumference is forecast to reach eastern Taiwan tomorrow morning, with the center making landfall in Yilan County later that night before departing from the north coast, CWA weather forecaster Kuan Shin-ping (官欣平) said yesterday. Uncertainty remains and
SEA WARNING LIKELY: The storm, named Gaemi, could become a moderate typhoon on Wednesday or Thursday, with the Taipei City Government preparing for flooding A tropical depression east of the Philippines developed into a tropical storm named Gaemi at 2pm yesterday, and was moving toward eastern Taiwan, the Central Weather Administration (CWA) said. Gaemi could begin to affect Taiwan proper on Tuesday, lasting until Friday, and could develop into a moderate typhoon on Wednesday or Thursday, it said. A sea warning for Gaemi could be issued as early as Tuesday morning, it added. Gaemi, the third tropical storm in the Pacific Ocean this typhoon season, is projected to begin moving northwest today, and be closest to Taiwan on Wednesday or Thursday, the agency said. Today, there would likely
DISRUPTIONS: The high-speed rail is to operate as normal, while several airlines either canceled flights or announced early departures or late arrivals Schools and offices in 15 cities and counties are to be closed today due to Typhoon Gaemi, local governments announced last night. The 15 are: Taipei, New Taipei City, Taoyuan, Tainan, Keelung, Hsinchu and Kaohsiung, as well as Yilan, Hualien, Hsinchu, Miaoli, Chiayi, Pingtung, Penghu and Lienchiang counties. People should brace for torrential rainfall brought by the storm, with its center forecast to make landfall on the east coast between tonight and tomorrow morning, the Central Weather Administration (CWA) said. The agency issued a sea warning for the typhoon at 11:30pm on Monday, followed by a land warning at 11:30am yesterday. As of
CASUALTY: A 70-year-old woman was killed by a falling tree in Kaohsiung as the premier warned all government agencies to remain on high alert for the next 24 hours Schools and offices nationwide are to be closed for a second day today as Typhoon Gaemi crosses over the nation, bringing torrential rain and whipping winds. Gaemi was forecast to make landfall late last night. From Tuesday night, its outer band brought substantial rainfall and strong winds to the nation. As of 6:15pm last night, the typhoon’s center was 20km southeast of Hualien County, Central Weather Administration (CWA) data showed. It was moving at 19kph and had a radius of 250km. As of 3pm yesterday, one woman had died, while 58 people were injured, the Central Emergency Operation Center said. The 70-year-old