The New Power Party (NPP) yesterday said it would transfer an alleged conflict of interest case involving NPP Legislator Kawlo Iyun Pacidal to the Legislative Yuan’s Discipline Committee for investigation following accusations that she abused her power to obtain government subsidies totaling NT$4 million (US$128,721).
The Green Party Taiwan on Monday said that two non-governmental organizations run by Kawlo’s assistant had received NT$4 million in subsidies from the Ministry of Economic Affairs.
The two groups — the Taiwan Association for Indigenous Peoples and Taiwan Associations for Startups and Marketing Centers — were among 19 organizations that in January received ministry subsidies to establish “clean” energy facilities.
Photo: Tu Chien-jung, Taipei Times
Both groups were established by the former director of Kawlo’s office, Chen Shih-chang (陳士章), and are currently managed by her office assistant, Chen En-tse (陳恩澤), the Green Party said on Facebook.
Despite having no former achievements, the two groups each received the maximum subsidy of NT$2 million, it said.
As Kawlo is a member of the Legislative Yuan’s Economics Committee, which is responsible for supervising the ministry, the Green Party accused her assistant of breaching the Act on Recusal of Public Servants Due to Conflicts of Interest (公職人員利益衝突迴避法) by applying for the ministry program.
Article 14 of the act bans public servants and people closely related to them from receiving subsidies from or engaging in monetary transactions with government agencies or organizations under their supervision, it said.
In cases involving an open bidding process, the act requires the bidding public servant, or people related to them, to disclose their identity or connection to the public servant to avoid a conflict of interest, it said.
“When the applicant is a legislator’s office assistant, would the ministry dare give them anything less than the maximum amount? The key question is whether Kawlo exerted pressure on the ministry,” the Green Party said.
Kawlo on Monday denied abusing her power to obtain any subsidies, saying: “The untrue accusations have undermined the reputation of the NPP and myself.”
The subsidies were applied “according to law,” as the act’s provision requiring bidders to disclose their connection to public servants had not yet gone into effect when he applied, Chen En-tse said in a statement yesterday.
The ministry’s Bureau of Energy confirmed that Chen had applied for the subsidies without disclosing his connection to the legislator, and that he applied months before the provisions came into effect in December last year.
The ministry would consult with the Ministry of Justice to determine whether the amendment should apply to the case, it added.
The NPP found evidence that Kawlo’s assistant applied for the subsidy and that Kawlo breached provisions regarding conflict of interest in the Legislators’ Conduct Act (立法委員行為法), the NPP said yesterday after an internal disciplinary meeting.
The committee was unable to reach Kawlo, but told her to offer an explanation on the case by 5pm today, it said, adding that if she does not give an explanation by then, the committee would make a decision without consulting her.
If Kawlo is found to have contravened the law, “in the most severe case, the NPP would require her to resign as legislator and would remove her from the NPP’s decisionmaking committee,” party spokesman Lee Chao-li (李兆立) said.
The High Prosecutors’ Office yesterday withdrew an appeal against the acquittal of a former bank manager 22 years after his death, marking Taiwan’s first instance of prosecutors rendering posthumous justice to a wrongfully convicted defendant. Chu Ching-en (諸慶恩) — formerly a manager at the Taipei branch of BNP Paribas — was in 1999 accused by Weng Mao-chung (翁茂鍾), then-president of Chia Her Industrial Co, of forging a request for a fixed deposit of US$10 million by I-Hwa Industrial Co, a subsidiary of Chia Her, which was used as collateral. Chu was ruled not guilty in the first trial, but was found guilty
DEADLOCK: As the commission is unable to forum a quorum to review license renewal applications, the channel operators are not at fault and can air past their license date The National Communications Commission (NCC) yesterday said that the Public Television Service (PTS) and 36 other television and radio broadcasters could continue airing, despite the commission’s inability to meet a quorum to review their license renewal applications. The licenses of PTS and the other channels are set to expire between this month and June. The National Communications Commission Organization Act (國家通訊傳播委員會組織法) stipulates that the commission must meet the mandated quorum of four to hold a valid meeting. The seven-member commission currently has only three commissioners. “We have informed the channel operators of the progress we have made in reviewing their license renewal applications, and
Taiwan People’s Party (TPP) Chairman Huang Kuo-chang (黃國昌) yesterday appealed to the authorities to release former Taipei mayor Ko Wen-je (柯文哲) from pretrial detention amid conflicting reports about his health. The TPP at a news conference on Thursday said that Ko should be released to a hospital for treatment, adding that he has blood in his urine and had spells of pain and nausea followed by vomiting over the past three months. Hsieh Yen-yau (謝炎堯), a retired professor of internal medicine and Ko’s former teacher, said that Ko’s symptoms aligned with gallstones, kidney inflammation and potentially dangerous heart conditions. Ko, charged with
Taiwan-based publisher Li Yanhe (李延賀) has been sentenced to three years in prison, fined 50,000 yuan (US$6,890) in personal assets and deprived political rights for one year for “inciting secession” in China, China's Taiwan Affairs Office spokesman Chen Binhua (陳斌華) said today. The Shanghai First Intermediate People’s Court announced the verdict on Feb. 17, Chen said. The trial was conducted lawfully, and in an open and fair manner, he said, adding that the verdict has since come into legal effect. The defendant reportedly admitted guilt and would appeal within the statutory appeal period, he said, adding that the defendant and his family have
RSS