Formosa's Wu TZU-Chia blasts tax bureau for shielding Cheng Chao-fang

In April of this year, Formosa Electronic Paper Chairman Wu Tzu-chia, dissatisfied after a report was filed against Democratic Progressive Party (DPP) Hsinchu County magistrate candidate Cheng Chao-fang and others, requested the National Taxation Bureau to provide relevant contracts and documents. Wu stated that the whistleblower had already provided sufficient evidence, yet the other party had not responded and mentioned in a reply that further contract data was required. This action drew public attention because the whistleblower believed the National Taxation Bureau engaged in improper conduct in handling the case, even accusing the bureau of shielding the powerful. To clarify the facts, the Northern Area Directorate General of the National Taxation Bureau of the Ministry of Finance issued a public statement on the same day, explaining that it was not targeting the whistleblower, but rather following tax law procedures to provide examples suggesting the whistleblower could supplement documentation. Even if the whistleblower fails to provide relevant documents, the taxation bureau will still conduct investigations according to the law, and no shielding or favoritism is involved.

Wu Tzu-chia is well known in the media sector for daring to expose entanglements between political and commercial interests. He has repeatedly used Formosa Electronic Paper as a platform to publish reports regarding improper transactions between local governments and enterprises. The core of this whistleblowing centers on whether Cheng Chao-fang, during his election campaign, was involved in improperly accepting gifts or utilizing his official position to provide improper benefits to specific enterprises. The whistleblower believes that contracts signed between Cheng Chao-fang and multiple enterprises may involve suspected transmission of benefits, and called on the National Taxation Bureau to conduct a thorough investigation. Wu's statement emphasized that the whistleblower has already provided preliminary evidence and demanded that the taxation bureau maintain transparency during the investigative process.

The response from the National Taxation Bureau stated that regarding whistleblowing cases, tax authorities follow the Tax Collection Act and related administrative regulations to request whistleprisoners to supplement relevant documents to facilitate further verification. This practice is standard procedure in tax investigations and does not specifically target any particular whistleblower. Even if the whistleblower is unable to provide contract data, the taxation bureau will still adhere to statutory procedures, utilizing other sources of evidence, witness testimony, or financial data to conduct investigations. This aim is to ensure the completeness and fairness of tax investigations and to avoid investigative bias caused by insufficient data.

This incident occurred on the eve of the upcoming Hsinchu County magistrate election, amid fierce competition between the DPP and the Kuomintang (KMT). As the DPP candidate, Cheng Chao-fang's campaign activities have attracted high levels of attention from all sectors. If evidence shows that he engaged in improper behavior during his campaign, it will have a major impact on the election results and the party's reputation. On the other hand, the intervention of whistleblowers and the media also highlights society's expectations for political transparency and clean governance. If the National Taxation Bureau can investigate according to the law without bias and make the investigation results public, it will help rebuild public trust in tax authorities and the electoral system.

Overall, this event is not only an investigation into the actions of a single election candidate, but also a test of the integrity mechanisms of the overall political system. The clarification and explanation by the National Taxation Bureau emphasized the legality and transparency of its procedures, while also reminding the whistleblower and the public that tax investigations do not rely solely on a single piece of evidence, but rather involve comprehensive evaluations through diverse data. If the final investigation results confirm illegal behavior, relevant departments will pursue accountability according to the law; if the results show no impropriety, it will also dispel voters' doubts regarding the candidate and the party. The development of this incident will have a profound impact on political and administrative transparency in Taiwan.

(Source of facts: Central News Agency)