The New Power Party (NPP) has suspended the membership of Legislator Kawlo Iyun Pacidal amid allegations of influence peddling and abuse of power, party spokesman Lee Chao-li (李兆立) said on Wednesday.
On Monday, the Green Party Taiwan alleged that Kawlo in January had received NT$4 million (US$128,279) in green energy subsidies from the Ministry of Economic Affairs through two groups established by a former assistant and run by a current aide, but did not appear to have put the funds to any use.
The Taiwan Association for Indigenous Peoples and the Taiwan Associations for Startups and Marketing Centers received the funds to establish “clean” energy facilities.
Photo: Tu Chien-jung, Taipei Times
Article 14 of the Act on Recusal of Public Servants Due to Conflicts of Interest (公職人員利益衝突迴避法) 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, the Green Party said.
On Tuesday, the NPP said that Kawlo had breached provisions of the Legislators’ Conduct Act (立法委員行為法) regarding conflict of interest and on Wednesday the party’s disciplinary committee met to discuss the allegations.
Kawlo attended the meeting, but declined to respond to allegations of influence peddling, Lee said.
On Monday, she had denied abusing her influence to obtain the subsidies.
The committee recommended that Kawlo’s NPP membership be revoked for contravening its regulations and tarnishing its image, Lee said.
If the party revokes her membership, she would lose her legislator-at-large seat.
The NPP would turn the case over to the Legislative Yuan’s Discipline Committee, he said.
Questions have been raised about whether Article 14 would apply in this case, as the groups applied for the subsidies months before the provision requiring bidders to disclose their connection to public servants took effect in December last year.
The Ministry of Economic Affairs has fined Taobao NT$1.2 million (US$36,912) for advertisements that exceed its approved business scope, requiring the Chinese e-commerce platform to make corrections in the first half of this year or its license may be revoked. Lawmakers have called for stricter enforcement of Chinese e-commerce platforms and measures to prevent China from laundering its goods through Taiwan in response to US President Donald Trump’s heavy tariffs on China. The Legislative Yuan’s Finance Committee met today to discuss policies to prevent China from dumping goods in Taiwan, inviting government agencies to report. Democratic Progressive Party Legislator Kuo Kuo-wen (郭國文) said
The Ministry of Economic Affairs has fined Taobao NT$1.2 million (US$36,900) for advertisements that exceeded its approved business scope and ordered the Chinese e-commerce platform to make corrections in the first half of this year or its license would be revoked. Lawmakers have called for stricter supervision of Chinese e-commerce platforms and more stringent measures to prevent China from laundering its goods through Taiwan as US President Donald Trump’s administration cracks down on origin laundering. The legislature’s Finance Committee yesterday met to discuss policies to prevent China from dumping goods in Taiwan, inviting government agencies to report on the matter. Democratic Progressive Party
Taiwan and its Pacific ally Tuvalu on Tuesday signed two accords aimed at facilitating bilateral cooperation on labor affairs, according to Taiwan’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs (MOFA). The governments inked two agreements in Taipei, witnessed by Foreign Minister Lin Chia-lung (林佳龍) and visiting Deputy Tuvaluan Prime Minister Panapasi Nelesone, MOFA said in a news release. According to MOFA, the agreements will facilitate cooperation on labor issues and allow the two sides to mutually recognize seafarers’ certificates and related training. Taiwan would also continue to collaborate with Tuvalu across various fields to promote economic prosperity as well as the well-being of their
Sung Chien-liang (宋建樑), who led efforts to recall Democratic Progressive Party (DPP) Legislator Lee Kun-cheng (李坤城), was released on bail of NT$80,000 today amid outcry over his decision to wear a Nazi armband to questioning the night before. Sung arrived at the New Taipei District Prosecutors’ Office for questioning in a recall petition forgery case last night wearing a red armband bearing a swastika, carrying a copy of Adolf Hitler’s Mein Kampf and giving a Nazi salute. Sung left the building at 1:15am without the armband and covering the book with his coat. Lee said today that this is a serious
RSS