The Taiwan High Prosecutors Office on Saturday denied that investigators in Tainan sunk a 2014 probe into corruption allegations against ex-Cabinet Spokesman Chen Tsung-yen (???) when he served as a local government official.
At a press conference, Taiwan High Prosecutors Office official Lin Hung-sung (???) said a review of case records showed that the Tainan District Prosecutors Office had acted accordingly when investigating Chen.
According to Lin, prosecutors had not sought to cover up the case against Chen, which was closed in 2015 due to insufficient evidence.
Chen resigned as Cabinet spokesman Friday after RW News, a local media outlet, ran several stories earlier in the day alleging that he traded political favors for sex while serving as a public official in the Tainan City government 11 years ago.
Following the reports, Taiwan People's Party (TPP) Legislator Chen Wan-hui (???) released messaging records that purported to show Chen Tsung-yen promising to help a hostess club operator Wang Hsiao-wei (???) in his dealings with the local authorities.
Chen Wan-hui alleged that prosecutors in Tainan had turned a blind eye to evidence of corruption involving Chen Tsung-yen, uncovered during prosecutors' investigation into Wang.
Later on Friday, the Ministry of Justice said Friday it had instructed the Taiwan High Prosecutors Office to send someone to look into the matter.
In a separate event earlier Saturday, Vice President Lai Ching-te (???), who at the time served as Tainan mayor, said although Chen Tsung-yen had been a competent employee, honesty is the best policy, without elaborating.
Also on Saturday, Premier Chen Chien-jen (???), who approved Chen Tsung-yen's resignation the previous day, said that the justice ministry would deal with the case accordingly.
Chen Tsung-yen, who has denied the accusation, had only been a member of the new Cabinet for 18 days before his resignation on Friday.
The case against the former Cabinet spokesman is currently still being investigated.
Source: Focus Taiwan News Channel