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By Lin Hsin-han and Esme Yeh / Staff reporter, with staff writer
The Ma Ying-jeou Foundation yesterday said it has identified material evidence of suspected financial misconduct by its former chief executive officer Hsiao Hsu-tsen (蕭旭岑) and former deputy chief executive officer Wang Kuang-tzu (王光慈).
The foundation has dissociated itself from Hsiao — who is also Chinese Nationalist Party (KMT) deputy chairman — and Wang, and accused them of breaching financial discipline, while designating Tai Hsia-ling (戴遐齡) as acting chief executive officer.
It convened a board meeting yesterday, which failed to be held due to insufficient attendance.
Photo: Taipei Times
The foundation in a statement said that it convened the meeting because board director Hsueh Hsiang-chuan (薛香川) had confirmed that all the three board members tasked with the investigation of the alleged misconduct — himself, Yiin Chii-ming (尹啟銘) and Lee De-wei (李德維) — would be in attendance.
Regarding a reported lack of evidence for the internal investigation, the foundation said that was untrue.
Tai at a board meeting held on March 27 presented detailed testimony and evidence of the alleged misconduct collected from preliminary internal investigations, it said.
An audit report unveiled at the meeting yesterday showed that accountants already identified entries of “donations from overseas Taiwanese businesses” with sources unspecified, it said.
However, the accounting firm has no records of corresponding money inflows, the foundation said, adding that it could be evidence of financial misconduct if someone from the foundation did receive the “donations.”
Former president Ma Ying-jeou (馬英九) attended the meeting yesterday, as he considered it important for two purposes.
First, he instructed the board to appoint four new board members.
Second, he expected the three-member investigation task force to brief the board on the latest findings, about Hsiao’s and Wang’s alleged financial misconduct.
Ma said he was aggrieved to find out in mid-January that serious financial misconduct allegedly existed in the foundation’s operation, as he values incorruptibility and set up the foundation for the public interest instead of personal benefit.
He later said that he consulted board director Kao Hua-chu (高華柱) and his trusted aide, King Pu-tsung (金溥聰) for advice, with a meeting held on Feb. 25 asking Hsiao and Wang to resign.
The investigation is expected to treat Hsiao and Wang with fairness whether they did it or not, Ma said, adding he has permitted King to give public remarks about the matter on his behalf.
Lee said a judgement would not be made until the investigation task force meets with the complainants and defendants and hear the stories of both sides.
