Taiwan Sao Paulo office head impeached over procurement scandal

Taipei, Nov. 16 (CNA) A Taiwanese diplomat stationed in Brazil was impeached by the Control Yuan on Friday for suspected procurement violations and neglect of duties, following the apparent suicide of a subordinate last year.

All 13 Control Yuan members agreed to impeach Feng Kwang-chung (馮光中), head of the Taipei Economic and Cultural Office (TECO) in Sao Paulo, with the case now set to be reviewed by the Disciplinary Court, the government watchdog stated in a press release.

Feng was accused of violating the Government Procurement Act in overseeing a NT$10.1 million (US$311,000) refurbishment of the representative office and his official residence in 2021, the Control Yuan said, adding that he was also implicated in a conflict of interest with bidders.

It was not until the death of Sao Paulo TECO section chief Felix Wang (王之化) in March 2023 that the office's unclear accounting and cash shortfall were discovered, it said.

Wang, allegedly coerced into signing off on the expenses, fell to his death from his 16th-floor residence, after which his family accused Feng of defamation and bullying, taking the case to prosecutors.

The case is currently under review by the Taiwan Taipei District Prosecutors Office, which released Feng on NT$100,000 bail on suspicion of corruption after questioning him on Oct. 23, 2023.

Friday's impeachment also highlighted Feng's negligence in recording safe usage and hiring a local firm to manage the office's accounting tasks, which were deemed severe violations, according to the Control Yuan.

Additionally, the Control Yuan noted that Feng violated Wang's privacy by disclosing his health issues to the Brazilian police without confirmation, clearly indicating a dereliction of duty.