After several people died in a fire at a Taipei KTV in April, two Taipei City functionaries were called in for questioning on allegations of soliciting bribes when outsourcing fire safety related checks. Taipei City Mayor Ko Wen-je however, said he is confident that there are no corruption problems within his high-level staff.


On July 16, Taipei City Government Secretary-General Hsueh Chun-ming retired and Deputy Secretary-General Chen Chih-ming was promoted to fill the vacancy. Taipei City Mayor Ko Wen-je attended the ceremony and praised the conduct of both Hsueh and Chen. A day earlier, two basic-level Taipei City Construction Management Office functionaries were called in for questioning on allegations of soliciting bribes. Ko, who has always boasted about his uncorrupted administration, was asked to comment.

I have already ordered Deputy Mayor Pong Cheng-sheng to head the task force. Let's investigate and clarify first and then talk, because we don't know how many people were involved, which cases were involved, the role of our entrusted companies, and how much responsibility the investigatory companies hold. I am very confident that there are no issues with mid-level and high-level functionaries. However, sometimes you have to investigate low-level ones for bribery.

The Taipei City Government began inspecting KTVs after a fire erupted in one in April. In 2019, two Construction Management Office functionaries surnamed Tseng and Chou who were in charge of outsourcing the inspections of building elevator facilities secretly hired an assistant and solicited monthly bribes of NT$15,000 from three companies. They were questioned on July 15, after which Chou was released on NT$100,000 bail and Tseng was detained. Ko has ordered an internal investigation.

In related news, the stance of Ko's Taiwan People's Party on the confirmation hearings of Control Yuan nominees has been repeatedly questioned. Ko said his party is standing on the right side.

We advocate the abolishment of the Examination Yuan and the Control Yuan, but we do not advocate the destruction of public property. I actually think we're doing a great job. We're not standing on the wrong side. In principle, procedures will be followed, and what should be examined will be examined. This is exactly what the Democratic Progressive Party wants, a direct vote.

The vote will be held on July 17. The Kuomintang currently has control of the podium in the legislature, so the examination procedures have not been completed. Ko said this is exactly what the DPP wants.



台北市政府秘書處長薛春明屆齡退休，副秘書長陳志明升任，台北市長柯文哲親自監交，讚揚兩位指揮得宜，按照戰功升遷，不過，就在15號，北市府建管處有兩名基層公務員，遭到檢調約談，是否讓自認是清廉市府的柯文哲，因此破功。

台北市長 柯文哲表示：「這個我已經指定，彭振聲副市長，當專案小組負責人。很多事是這樣，先調查清楚再講，因為到底有多少人涉案？涉什麼案？到底是被我們委託的公司，那個做為檢查公司有多少責任？我是相當有自信，中、高階的不會有問題，但是那低階的，有時候還是要去查賄什麼。」

4月的錢櫃KTV大火，燒出公安消防問題，北市府嚴查KTV消防，包括電梯安全，建管處曾姓、與周姓公務員，負責建物升降設備委外抽驗標案，卻暗中聘請助理，從去年開始，向3家業者，按月索賄1萬5千元，檢方漏夜偵訊，周姓公務員10萬元交保，曾姓公務員則是被聲押禁見，柯文哲要求內部調查清楚。

而對於立法院正在進行監察院人事審查案，民眾黨的立場，頻頻被質疑，柯文哲卻表示，民眾黨沒有站錯邊。

台北市長 柯文哲表示：「我們主張廢考、監兩院，但我們不會主張破壞公物，我倒覺得我們做得很好。每個議題，我們難道有站錯邊嗎？沒有啊！原則上，還是照程序走，該審查還是審查，（對）民進黨來講也正中下懷，就直接投票。」

週五就要進行人事同意權投票，但因為國民黨攻佔議場，審查程序無法完備，柯文哲認為，對民進黨而言，剛剛好。