Minister of Foreign Affairs Eugene Chien (
"I took the initiative to report to the Control Yuan," Chien said, adding the move was aimed at clarifying details concerning the ministry's handling of the issue to the four-member investigation team at the government watchdog agency.
Chien's offer came while the investigation team was debating whether to summon the foreign minister to report on the controversial issue.
PHOTO: GEORGE TSORNG, TAIPEI TIMES
The minister said he explained the procedures surrounding the issuing of the notarization of power of attorney to Wang through the representative office in Geneva in July 2001 and the London office just last month.
The paper was to notarize the appointment of a lawyer to act on Wang's behalf when the court in Taiwan handles a libel lawsuit he filed against national policy adviser Hsieh Tsung-min (
The minister said he endeavored to help the Control Yuan team reconstruct the facts surrounding the issue, while clarifying related questions from the team.
The ministry has already handed a related report to an evaluation team under the Executive Yuan earlier this week before the minister approached the Control Yuan.
Chien said the ministry has handled the case in accordance with related laws and regulations, while reiterating that he hasn't maintained any friendship or long-term relationship with Wang.
Meanwhile, Chan Hsien-ching (詹憲卿) yesterday morning handed over his post as the director-general of the ministry's Bureau of Consular Affairs to Chan's successor Yang Sheng-chung (楊勝宗) after his resignation over the notarization issue.
Chan also accompanied Chien during the Control Yuan meeting.
The Control Yuan team has already summoned Chan twice since the Geneva office issued the paper to Wang in July 2001 as part of the investigation into the causes and procedures surrounding the issuance by the two representative offices.
The ministry announced last week that it decided to revoke the issuance claiming the move might put Taiwan's national interests in jeopardy, one day after officials claimed the issuance was legally justifiable.
Wang, a former arms dealer, has been wanted since September 2000 in connection with the death of navy Captain Yin Ching-feng (
Chan yesterday morning also apologized to the foreign minister after he stepped down from his post.
"A purely consular affair has triggered a political storm," he said.
Chan said he has no complaints about how he had been treated.
Chien said although the ministry deemed the handling of the issue as legally justifiable, the process has been less than ideal.
The Geneva office issued the paper after consulting the ministry by two telegrams and two telephone calls, while the London office issued the paper after an internal meeting without any prior consultation with Taipei, officials said.
Chien also said he understood the "pain" Chan has experienced after the issue prompted criticism from all sides.
Chan has insisted that even a fugitive is entitled to application for power of attorney.
Chan will serve as a senior adviser at the ministry, while his successor, before taking up the new post, was the head of the ministry's Foreign Service Institute.
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