Premier Lin Chuan (林全) yesterday said he does not see why Minister of Finance Sheu Yu-jer (許虞哲) should resign, amid media reports that Sheu would follow Financial Supervisory Commission chairman Ding Kung-wha (丁克華) in stepping down over the Mega International Commercial Bank (兆豐銀行) scandal.
Ding resigned on Monday to take responsibility for Mega Bank’s breaches of US money-laundering regulations.
Lin said that Ding had on several occasions informed him of his intention to resign over the Mega Bank incident, and Lin on Sunday finally approved his resignation.
When asked whether Ding’s resignation was a political move by the Cabinet in response to recent criticism of it being too “old, blue and male,” Lin said that political appointees have their own “considerations, as they come and go for different reasons.”
“As the commission has [since the Mega Bank scandal] been the subject of continued criticism, Ding felt that his resignation might be a good way [to settle the controversy],” Lin said.
An Executive Yuan supervisory task force formed to investigate the Mega Bank breach decided on Monday to have the Control Yuan assess the accountability in the incident of former commission chairs Chen Yuh-chang (陳裕璋), Jennifer Wang (王儷玲), William Tseng (曾銘宗) and Ding, as well as former minister of finance Chang Sheng-ford (張盛和) and Sheu, after the task force completes its investigation.
Chinese Nationalist Party (KMT) Legislator Lin Wei-chou (林為洲) questioned the premier about the decision during a legislative question-and-answer session yesterday.
Lin Chuan said the task force aims to clarify the accountability of the executives for failing to correct Mega Bank’s misconduct and therefore listed all of those working during that period, but added that the investigation is ongoing.
Lin Wei-chou pointed out that Sheu has two roles in the investigation, as he is assisting the probe, but also being investigated.
The premier said that Sheu was not involved in the appointment of Mega Bank board directors and supervisors, who were all appointed before May 20, but added that he would respect the task force’s decision.
“I do not think there is any reason for Sheu to resign,” Lin Chuan said in response to the lawmaker’s question of whether Sheu would be the next to resign.
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