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KMT pans ‘Next,’ Ma eyes legal action
By Shih Hsiu-chuan / Staff reporter
President Ma Ying-jeou, who also serves as Chinese Nationalist Party (KMT) chairman, second left, yesterday praises KMT Legislator Hsu Yao-chang, second right, the party’s county commissioner candidate for Miaoli County, during its Central Standing Committee meeting in Taipei.
Photo: Fang Pin-chao, Taipei Times
Chinese Nationalist Party (KMT) spokesperson Charles Chen (陳以信) yesterday criticized the Chinese-language Next Magazine for its article suggesting that President Ma Ying-jeou (馬英九) has illegally received donations from Ting Hsin International Group (頂新國際集團), owned by the Wei family involved in repeated tainted cooking oil scandals.
The article described Ma, who doubles as chairman of the KMT, as persisting in going his own way, despite strenuous objections from within the KMT, as shown in the party’s recent decision to appeal the Taiwan High Court’s ruling on the party’s revocation of Legislative Speaker Wang Jin-pyng’s (王金平) membership for allegedly trying to influence a judicial case.
Chen said Next Magazine failed to abide by ethical standards of journalism by alleging irregularities involving the head of state and defamed Ma.
The KMT has repeatedly stated that the party did not receive any political contributions from Ting Hsin between 2008 and last year, Chen said, adding that Ma did not receive any donations from the group during his re-election campaign in the 2012 presidential election.
In a statement issued late on Tuesday night, Ma, in his capacity as KMT chairman, rejected the allegation made by Wu Tsu-chia (吳子嘉), a political commentator, that he had received NT$1 billion (US$32.9 million) from Ting Hsin as “groundless,” demanding that Wu issue a public apology before today or face a lawsuit.
The allegation that Ma had assisted the Wei family in growing their businesses in return for political donations has disturbed society, the statement said.
Ma said that he would consider legal action against anyone who continues to make similar insinuations in the media to protect his reputation and that of the party.
source: Taipei Times
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