Roger Hsieh (
In response to the former premier's comments in the book, Hsieh, a former key investigator, said yesterday that Hau's role in the Lafayette scandal is similar to that of former president Lee Teng-hui's (李登輝).
PHOTO: HAKU HUANG, LIBERTY TIMES
According to Lu's new book, Hau said firmly that he informed Lee of the entire arms-buying proposal to Lee from Paris on May 8, 1989. Hau also clearly indicated that former naval Captain Yin Ching-feng (尹清楓) was murdered because of kickbacks related to a minesweeping vessel contract with Germany instead of the Lafayette-class frigate scandal.
Hsieh said that it is unbelievable to say that former chief presidential secretary Su Chih-cheng (蘇志誠) had nothing to do with the scandal as Su's name was mentioned time and again in the documented evidence released by the Control Yuan.
Hau was the chief of the General Staff when Taiwan's navy was considering signing the Lafayette-class frigate procurement contract with the French arms supplier Thomson-CSF, now called Thales.
Yin was the former head of the navy's Arms Acquisition Office, whose body was found floating in the sea off the east coast of Taiwan in 1993. His death prompted officials to begin investigating the Lafayette procurement scandal. Investigators believe that more than US$500 million was paid in illegal commissions.
"Hau's allegations are totally different from the documented evidence released by the Control Yuan earlier in July," said Hsieh.
The document collected by the Control Yuan members showed that Yin was trying to collect evidence so he could protect himself once the scandal broke out. As a result, it is believed that he was murdered by the suspects who were the beneficiaries of the scandal.
To date, 13 military officers and 15 arms brokers have been jailed in Taiwan on charges of bribery and leaking military secrets, however, no one has been charged over Yin's murder.
"Also, two Taiwanese naval officers and five lawmakers, including myself, have visited the French shipbuilding company that manufactured the frigates for Taiwan in September, 1993," Hsieh said. "However, French authorities keep denying this fact and all related evidence such as pictures and souvenirs are gone."
Yin was one of two Taiwanese naval officers in the group and he took notes during the tour at the company. However, Hsieh said that the team in charge of investigating Yin's death said that the notebook was never found.
"This scandal will definitely become a major focus in the Legislative Yuan sessions next year," he said. "Ku Chung-lien (
"Hau and Lee were the key decision makers who had the power to decide that Taiwan's navy would purchase the Lafayette-class frigates instead of the Weishan-class frigates from Korea," added Hsieh.
"As a result, both of them should be responsible for explaining and clarifying all the questions which investigators and the public might have regarding this case."
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