Taiwan News
2010-07-20
TAIPEI (Taiwan News) – President Ma Ying-jeou announced a plan to form an Anti-Corruption Administration under the Ministry of Justice at a news conference Tuesday.
His announcement came after Judicial Yuan President Lai In-jaw resigned over the weekend to take political responsibility for the alleged buying of three Taiwan High Court judges by a former Kuomintang lawmaker.
“I am determined, extraordinarily determined to establish a clean government,” the president said, waving a fist to underline his words. “We will not allow a minority of corrupt officials to damage the reputation of civil servants and of the government.”
Ma defended his plan to put the new body under the MOJ in contrast to the independent status of similar organizations in Hong Kong and Singapore. He also rejected criticism that the anti-corruption body would replicate work already done by the Ministry of Justice Investigation Bureau.
The MJIB had a list of 20 responsibilities, and the fight against corruption was only one of them, Ma said. “The Anti-Corruption Administration will be an even stronger and more complete force,” he said.
“Its personnel will hold the right to investigate and it will be able to apply with the courts to conduct searches, impound and detain,” the president said, arguing that those extensive powers would raise the efficiency of the government’s anti-corruption efforts.
Ma also said the formation of the specialized body corresponded to public demand as expressed by opinion polls. The new organization would also show the world that Taiwan was determined to fight graft in concert with the United Nations Convention against Corruption, he said.   more …
