Kaohsiung, Sept. 27 (CNA) A ward chief in Kaohsiung City has afiled a complaint with prosecutors against Mayor Chen Chu and thecity government Monday, accusing them of negligence that caused hisward to be flooded when Typhoon Fanapi swept through Taiwan on Sept.19.

Lin Chih-mei of the southern city's Benhe Ward said he took theaction to "seek justice and truth" for the 1,700 flood-affectedhouseholds in the borough, even if it leads to his being expelledfrom the opposition Democratic Progressive Party (DPP), of which themayor is also a member.

The Kaohsiung District Prosecutors Office said it has launched aninvestigation into the flooding to determine whether public servantshad acted illegally in a way that caused the disaster, which causedheavy agricultural and industrial losses in southern Taiwan.

Many buildings in Kaohsiung City were flooded during the typhoon,including several dozen in Benhe Ward, which has a population of over8,000 people, and losses in the borough have been estimated at morethan NT$100 million (US$3.19 million), Lin said.

He had previously asserted in many interviews that the ward'sresidents should receive national compensation because the severeflooding was caused by the failure of a flood detention pond and itswater pump facility.

He said the facility's failure was the result of misconduct bycity officials, including the mayor herself.

In response to the accusation, Chen said the city government willnot "protect its staff if they are found negligent."

(By Wang Shwu-fen and Elizabeth Hsu)
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