'Shocked' Ma apologises for close aide's bribery scandal
President's re-election as KMT chairman is at risk as lawmakers ask him to stand down after his party office chief is linked to graft incident
Taiwanese President Ma Ying-jeou apologised yesterday over a close aide's implication in a bribery scandal linked to a massive building project in Taipei.
"I am very shocked and saddened that Lai Su-ju, who has been a member of our team for a long time, is involved in a legal case," a solemn-faced Ma said.
Lai, a 49-year-old lawyer and Taipei city councillor who also served as director of Ma's office within the Kuomintang, was held for questioning by prosecutors on Wednesday for allegedly receiving a bribe related to the Taipei city government's NT$70 billion (HK$17.8 billion) "Twin Towers" project to develop west Taipei.
After an eight-hour court hearing on whether to hold her incommunicado, she was released on NT$1.2 million bail early yesterday, pending further investigation. Lai quit all her party positions, including her seat on the KMT's central standing committee.
Ma said: "Being the party chairman, I apologise to all party members and the public."