The Control Yuan nominee list continues to stir controversy. Nominee Lai Cheng-chang has been cited multiple times for multiple illegal additions to his home, including a third floor and a private elevator. Lai claims the illegal additions have all been removed already.
This three-story home in Beitou stands out from the rest of the neighborhood. The owner, Control Yuan nominee and former lawmaker Lai Cheng-chang, has been reported time and time again for illegal additions to his property. Facing criticism over his blatant disregard for the law, Lai says he is innocent and hasn't built any illegal additions.
The pipes and pipe network had to be repaired, so we hired a civil contractor and then some illegal additions happened. I can't deny the reality of the illegality of these additions. The construction management office will be coming to tear down (the additions), and we are readily willing to accept this.
Four illegal additions to his home have been reported so far. Lai says his villa is 37 years old and pipes needed to be repaired after he moved in. Lai blamed the contractor for the illegal additions. Authorities investigated the first two illegal additions on Mar. 23, 2006, and removed the additions less than two weeks later. However, Lai simply rebuilt another illegal addition on the third floor and was reported again. The fourth case involves an illegal elevator behind the villa. The Taipei City Construction Management Office will be tearing it down on July 22.
Because (my mother) was so very old and had mobility issues, we desperately needed to build an elevator. The laws at the time were, quite honestly, so strict. Because of how strict the laws were, our elevator permit was not approved.
Lai says he was forced to build the elevator because he had two elderly parents to take care of and applied for a permit from the city, and then had no choice but to build the elevator illegally because the permit was denied. He now says he respects the government's decision and is willing to cooperate with the removal so he can wash his hands of the mess as soon as possible.