Representative to the US Alexander Yui’s use of diplomatic funds to overhaul his official residence followed the law and regulations, and no irregularities have been found, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs said yesterday.
The funds were spent to replace old furniture, appliances and supplies in the envoy’s official Washington residence, ministry spokesman Jeff Liu (劉永健) told reporters in Taipei.
The refurbishment was necessary because the office is often used to host official banquets and other important events that involve guests, Liu said.
Photo courtesy of the Taipei Economic and Cultural Representative Office in the US
Liu would not disclose how much was spent on the project, saying he did not have specific details.
The Chinese-language Mirror Magazine yesterday reported that Yui spent about NT$8 million (US$246,586) to overhaul the residence since taking up the envoy post late last year.
Most of the money was spent on high-end sofas, beds and carpets, the magazine quoted a diplomatic source as saying.
The source, who spoke on condition of anonymity, told the magazine that Yui used taxpayers’ money to buy luxurious items.
Yui had wanted to buy a Cadillac SUV worth more than NT$2 million as his official vehicle, the source said.
However, the ministry denied the request, as the existing envoy’s car was only purchased two years ago, the magazine reported.
Yui and his wife often used the official vehicle for personal reasons, and he had even asked the driver to take his family on private shopping trips, which angered many staff members in the representative office in Washington, the source said.
Liu said that the overhaul was necessary and that all purchases were made in accordance with the law.
Liu confirmed that Yui initially wanted to purchase a Cadillac as an official vehicle, but that the proposal was denied due to the existing car not reaching the required mileage and age needed to be replaced.
The ministry would look into other allegations raised in the media report, Liu added, without elaborating.
Earlier yesterday, Presidential Office spokeswoman Karen Kuo (郭雅慧) said that President William Lai (賴清德) had asked the Executive Yuan and the ministry to look into the allegations surrounding Yui and respond accordingly, also without elaborating.
Minister of Foreign Affairs Lin Chia-lung (林佳龍) told reporters on the sidelines of a Legislative Yuan meeting that there is no plan to ask Yui to return to Taiwan to explain the situation.
Lin said that he has asked Yui to file a written report explaining the spending, adding that he believes this would suffice.
So far, it appears that Yui has done everything by the book, Lin said.
However, the ministry might need to overhaul regulations relating to refurbishing overseas offices, he said.
Yui, a seasoned career diplomat, succeeded his predecessor, Vice President Hsiao Bi-khim (蕭美琴), as the nation’s de facto ambassador to the US in December last year.
Hsiao left the post and returned to Taiwan last year to be Lai’s running mate for the presidential election in January.
Yui previously served as ambassador to Paraguay from 2015 to 2018, vice foreign minister from 2021 to last year and briefly as representative to the EU and Belgium.
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