Hsinchu Mayor Ann Kao (高虹安) yesterday denied that her boyfriend meddled in city government affairs, adding that she hoped “justice could be served” as judicial authorities probed the allegations against her.
Kao, a member of the Taiwan People’s Party (TPP), has for the past couple of weeks been engulfed in a slew of controversies, including allegations that she lives in a NT$50 million-plus (US$1.56 million) apartment and travels around the city in luxury vehicles, such as a Porsche or BMW, courtesy of property developers, raising questions about potential conflict of interests.
On Monday, former Hsinchu City Cultural Affairs Bureau director Chien Kang-ming (錢康明) also accused Kao’s “good friend” of attempting to meddle in the city’s governance.
Photo: Tu Chien-jung, Taipei Times
This “good friend” is neither Kao’s chief of staff or a member of the city government, and it was wrong for the friend to discuss city administration issues with city officials, Chien wrote on Facebook the day after he left office.
Chien added that on Aug. 28, he was abruptly told by Kao to work only until Sunday.
Although Chien did not name the “good friend,” Lee Chung-ting (李忠庭), Kao’s boyfriend, wrote on Facebook that he had never attempted to interfere in the city’s affairs.
The Agency Against Corruption has instructed the Hsinchu City Department of Government Ethics to launch an investigation into the matter. Kao was questioned by the department on Monday as part of the probe.
Meanwhile, the Hsinchu District Prosecutors’ Office yesterday said that Democratic Progressive Party Hsinchu City Councilor Chen Chien-ming (陳建名) has filed a complaint accusing Kao of contravening the Anti-corruption Act (貪污治罪條例).
The office said it was looking into the matter.
Asked about the luxury apartment, Kao repeated that she lives in a 15-year-old community building, but added that it was Lee who rented the condominium.
As for allegations that Lee sought to interfere in city affairs by talking to Chien about arrangements for the city’s New Year’s Eve party, Kao said she had already issued a statement on Monday saying that Hsinchu City and Hsinchu County would not collaborate in holding such an event this year, so there was no place that allowed room for meddling.
Separately, TPP spokeswoman Yang Bao-zhen (楊寶楨) told a news conference yesterday that the party stands by the Hsinchu City Government’s statement.
She said that any evidence or proof of wrongdoing should be submitted to the government ethics department, the Agency Against Corruption and the district prosecutors’ office.
All allegations will be addressed, but if Kao is innocent, she is owed an apology, she said.
If the allegations are backed up by evidence, “this kind of behavior is not acceptable in government offices,” TPP Legislator Lai Hsiang-ling (賴香伶) said, urging Chien to provide proof to back up his claims.
If Chien could not provide evidence, his comments could be interpreted as an emotional outburst, Lai said.
Chien could have made an effort to fix the issues when he was in office instead of writing about it on social media after he left, Lai added.
‘DENIAL DEFENSE’: The US would increase its military presence with uncrewed ships, and submarines, while boosting defense in the Indo-Pacific, a Pete Hegseth memo said The US is reorienting its military strategy to focus primarily on deterring a potential Chinese invasion of Taiwan, a memo signed by US Secretary of Defense Pete Hegseth showed. The memo also called on Taiwan to increase its defense spending. The document, known as the “Interim National Defense Strategic Guidance,” was distributed this month and detailed the national defense plans of US President Donald Trump’s administration, an article in the Washington Post said on Saturday. It outlines how the US can prepare for a potential war with China and defend itself from threats in the “near abroad,” including Greenland and the Panama
The Chinese Nationalist Party (KMT) is maintaining close ties with Beijing, the Democratic Progressive Party (DPP) said yesterday, hours after a new round of Chinese military drills in the Taiwan Strait began. Political parties in a democracy have a responsibility to be loyal to the nation and defend its sovereignty, DPP spokesman Justin Wu (吳崢) told a news conference in Taipei. His comments came hours after Beijing announced via Chinese state media that the Chinese People’s Liberation Army’s Eastern Theater Command was holding large-scale drills simulating a multi-pronged attack on Taiwan. Contrary to the KMT’s claims that it is staunchly anti-communist, KMT Deputy
RESPONSE: The government would investigate incidents of Taiwanese entertainers in China promoting CCP propaganda online in contravention of the law, the source said Taiwanese entertainers living in China who are found to have contravened cross-strait regulations or collaborated with the Chinese Communist Party (CCP) could be subject to fines, a source said on Sunday. Several Taiwanese entertainers have posted on the social media platform Sina Weibo saying that Taiwan “must be returned” to China, and sharing news articles from Chinese state media. In response, the Mainland Affairs Council (MAC) has asked the Ministry of Culture to investigate whether the entertainers had contravened any laws, and asked for them to be questioned upon their return to Taiwan, an official familiar with the matter said. To curb repeated
Myanmar has turned down an offer of assistance from Taiwanese search-and-rescue teams after a magnitude 7.7 earthquake struck the nation on Friday last week, saying other international aid is sufficient, the National Fire Agency said yesterday. More than 1,700 have been killed and 3,400 injured in the quake that struck near the central Myanmar city of Mandalay early on Friday afternoon, followed minutes later by a magnitude 6.7 aftershock. Worldwide, 13 international search-and-rescue teams have been deployed, with another 13 teams mobilizing, the agency said. Taiwan’s search-and-rescue teams were on standby, but have since been told to stand down, as