Taiwan’s President Ma Ying-jeou apologised on Friday after one of his confidants was implicated in a corruption scandal, just months after another friend resigned from the cabinet amid bribery accusations.
Lai Su-ju, a member of the Taipei City Council, was interrogated and released on bail early on Friday on suspicion of soliciting and accepting money from a company in a massive construction project in the capital, prosecutors said.
“I am shocked and saddened that Lai Su-ju, a partner of our team for a long time, is involved in a legal case ... I apologise to all party members and to the public,” said Ma, who is also chairman of the ruling Kuomintang (KMT) party.
Ma said in the statement that he respected and supported the investigation while urging Lai to “bravely face the judiciary to clarify the case and reveal the truth”.
Lai solicited T$10 million (HK$2.6 million) to help facilitate the T$70 billion project, the United Daily News reported, although prosecutors declined to give specifics. She maintains her innocence.
Lai, 49, was a rising star in the KMT and formally served as the party’s spokeswoman. As a lawyer, she has represented the president and other top politicians in several high-profile court cases.