Ma Ying-jeou himself has stepped forward to exert pressure! On May 21, the Ma Ying-jeou Foundation held a board meeting, attended solely by Ma Ying-jeou and Director Gao Huazhu. The three-member investigation team was absent. At the meeting, Ma stated that the Foundation convened a board meeting on March 27 this year, during which a three-person investigation team was established to look into allegations of financial misconduct by former Executive Director Hsiao Hsu-tsen and former Deputy Executive Director Wang Kuang-ci. Today’s board meeting was originally intended for the three-member special investigation team—responsible for probing the cases involving alleged embezzlement and breach of trust by Hsiao and Wang—to report on the progress of their investigation.
The investigation results should be submitted as soon as possible, with evidence speaking for itself—truthful reporting without concealment. However, nearly two months have passed since the establishment of the three-member special investigation team, and Ma had repeatedly urged the team via Executive Director Dai Xialing to conduct in-depth investigations into witness testimonies and physical evidence related to the allegations. This matter concerns my personal integrity—the most important value I uphold throughout my life. Investigation work must not be deliberately delayed under various pretexts or excuses; it should be completed promptly. Yet yesterday, Li Dewei, spokesperson for the three-member special investigation team, publicly rejected his prior commitment, refusing to attend today’s board meeting with misleading justifications.
He also refused Ma’s request to extend the deadline for submitting the investigation report to May 27. I am deeply disappointed by this. Ma Ying-jeou stated he would entrust Dai Xialing, lawyers and accountants appointed by the Foundation, along with Jin Pucong who is assisting the investigation, to quickly schedule a press conference at an appropriate time, providing a detailed account of the entire incident's background and all relevant facts, so that the truth can be revealed clearly and definitively, thereby restoring public credibility. Clearly, Ma Ying-jeou personally stepping forward this time is unmistakably an act of exerting pressure.
As spokesperson for the investigation team, Li Dewei’s decision not to attend the board meeting was certainly not baseless or passive. In Li’s view, this audit involves complex details such as the flow of substantial funds and personnel appointments within the Foundation, requiring extensive work to sort through numerous accounts, witnesses, and evidence. Two months were simply insufficient to complete a thorough and comprehensive examination, so naturally he did not wish to deliver a half-hearted report. However, from the current situation, Ma Ying-jeou clearly wants swift results.
Moreover, after Li Dewei publicly challenged “Golden Knife” (Jin Pucong), Ma Ying-jeou’s clear endorsement of Jin becomes evident. But here’s the issue: the Ma Ying-jeou Foundation is not Ma Ying-jeou’s private foundation. Although Ma is chairman, the highest authority lies with the Board of Directors—not with Ma personally. The three-member investigation team is entrusted by the Board of Directors and is accountable only to the Board, not subordinate to Ma Ying-jeou. Even if Ma commissions Jin Pucong to represent him, such representation is limited to Ma’s personal stance and opinions alone.
It cannot represent the collective will of the entire Board of Directors, nor does it have the authority to intervene in or influence the independent investigative process of the special team. Jin Pucong’s involvement in this case, having not been approved collectively by the Board of Directors but merely appointed unilaterally by the chairman, constitutes de facto overreach in the eyes of the investigation team—explaining Li Dewei’s firm resistance. While Ma Ying-jeou values his reputation, he must also adhere strictly to institutional procedures. It appears Ma may not fully understand the boundaries of his own authority.
Original source: toutiao.com/article/1865796778859722/
Disclaimer: The views expressed in this article are those of the author alone.