Former Vice Premier Cheng Wen-tsan steps down as SEF chair

Taipei, July 7 (CNA) Former Vice Premier Cheng Wen-tsan (鄭文燦), appointed chairman of the Straits Exchange Foundation (SEF) in May by President Lai Ching-te (賴清德), has stepped down from the post after becoming embroiled in a corruption probe, the foundation said Sunday.

In a private social media group for media workers, the foundation said that Cheng, who served as vice premier in former Democratic Progressive Party (DPP) President Tsai Ing-wen's (蔡英文) administration until May, resigned to avoid disrupting the foundation's operations.

"Cheng will fight to clear his name through the judicial process," it added.

Update: Bail for former Taoyuan mayor overturned by High Court (July 8)

Meanwhile, the DPP's anti-corruption committee will convene an impromptu meeting Monday night regarding the corruption probe into Cheng, according to committee head Chiou Jiunn-yann (邱駿彥) Sunday.

Chiou said in a press interview that the meeting requires over half of all committee members in attendance to be in quorum, a requirement that is expected to be met.

Cheng will not attend the meeting, as those present will discuss whether to launch their own investigations into the case.

According to the DPP's anti-corruption regulations, when a member of the party is found guilty of committing acts detailed in Articles four to six of the Anti-Corruption Act, they should be expelled from the party, with only a few exceptions.

Cheng, who served as Taoyuan mayor from Dec. 25, 2014 to Dec. 25, 2022, was summoned by prosecutors as part of an investigation into a corruption case during his two terms as mayor on Friday.

While Cheng has maintained his innocence, the Taoyuan District Prosecutors Office has said he is believed to have played a pivotal role in the case currently being investigated.

According to local media, the case involves the re-designation of land use.

Cheng has been released on bail of NT$5 million (US$153,846), a ruling prosecutors have appealed.

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