Ex-cross-strait official Chang Hsien-yao denies he is under investigation

A former senior official from Taiwan's top cross-strait affairs agency denied yesterday that he was under investigation despite an official announcement that the authorities were looking into "suspicions related to his work".

Chang Hsien-yao, a former deputy head of the Mainland Affairs Council, issued his denial within hours of the council announcing yesterday that he was sacked pending an investigation, local media reported.

"There are some suspicions related to Chang's work. And he had to be removed from his current post during the investigation," the council said, without clarifying the suspicions.

Taiwan's Central News Agency quoted an anonymous source as saying that Chang knew why he was removed and the council was about to launch an investigation into his activities.

Chang became the council's second-highest-ranking official in 2012 and was in charge of culture and education, the agency said. He also played a key role in the signing of the trade pact with the mainland that sparked sweeping protests on the island.

The council initially said on Saturday that Chang had tendered his resignation for "family reasons".