Su Jia-chyuan's Next Stop: The Presidential Palace, or the Special Investigation Unit?

Su Jia-chyuan's Next Stop:
The Presidential Palace, or the Special Investigation Unit?
United Daily News editorial (Taipei, Taiwan, ROC)
A Translation
November 2, 2011

Summary: Su Jia-chyuan's corruption scandals have erupted in rapid succession, one after another. There seems to be no end to them. During this election, the DPP has a new task. It cannot allow Su Jia-chyuan to be inundated by corruption scandals. Otherwise Tsai Ing-wen and Su Jia-chyuan will be crushed. Therefore the DPP must back Su Jia-chyuan to the hilt, even though corruption scandals have already made him non-viable. If they don't, Su Jia-chyuan will not pass muster, Tsai Ing-wen will not be be elected, and the DPP will not regain power.

Full Text Below:

At election rallies tall, dark Su Jia-chyuan looms over petite Tsai Ing-wen. This contrast applies not just to their bodily appearance. It applies also to their personal character.

Tsai Ing-wen is petite. Obviously she cannot block out Su Jia-chyuan. Tsai Ing-wen has been referred to as "cute." How can she dispel the dark clouds of suspicion surrounding Su Jia-chyuan's personal character?

Su Jia-chyuan's corruption scandals have erupted in rapid succession, one after another. There seems to be no end to them. During this election, the DPP has a new task. It cannot allow Su Jia-chyuan to be inundated by corruption scandals. Otherwise Tsai Ing-wen and Su Jia-chyuan will be crushed. Therefore the DPP must back Su Jia-chyuan to the hilt, even though corruption scandals have already made him non-viable. If they don't, Su Jia-chyuan will not pass muster, Tsai Ing-wen will not be be elected, and the DPP will not regain power.

Does the DPP truly Intend to bury Su Jia-chyuan's crimes under a mountain of ballots? Can it successfully whitewash Su Jia-chyuan's crimes via the ballot box? In short, suppose the DPP wins. Will that prove somehow that Su Jia-chyuan's actions were proper and legal? Does the DPP truly intend to turn Su Jia-chyuan's personal character into the new political and moral standard for politics on Taiwan via the ballot box?

Su Jia-chyuan has turned this election into a tug of war over political and moral standards. The DPP believes that someone of Su Jia-chyuan's character is qualified to be Republic of China Vice President. But critics argue that if someone of Su Jia-chyuan's character is qualified to be Republic of China Vice President, then Taiwan's political arena will have no standards to speak of.

The Su Jia-chyuan family's corruption scandals have already been exposed for the world to see. They include misusing public land for Su family gravesites, misusing agricultural land by building luxury mansions on farmland, allowing his older brother to pave over agricultural land with concrete and turn it into a Night Market for the past 20 years, allowing his maternal cousin to operate an illegal gravel business, allowing his wife to rent space in bootlegged buildings, and allowing his sister in law to build a luxury mansion on farmland. These scandals are currently only a matter of public perception. But any one of them could turn into a criminal case at any time.

When Su Jia-chyuan declared his assets, he touched off an even greater crisis. Auditors discovered that the Su family's insurance policies, investment funds, and mortgages required payments amounting to 750,000 dollars a month, or 9 million dollars a year. His wealth was astounding. But he has no explanation for how and where it was acquired.

An even bigger shocker was to come. No 281 Zhongxiao Road in Pingtung City is three five-story townhouses. They were completed after 1994. Su Jia-chyuan is believed to have used it for social gatherings, including gatherings of the Shui Dang Dang Fan Club. The buildings has no columns or beams. It is believed therefore that it was custom built according to his specifications. These gatherings went on for 14 years, until 2008, when Su Jia-chyuan left office. The builder then "transferred" it to Su Jia-chyuan's two grown daughters. As for the price, Su allegedly paid 6 million dollars, took out a loan for 6 million. He paid half the market price.

This townhouse was also the gathering place for the Coconut Grove Foundation. The foundation is headed by Su Jia-chyuan's wife. All of its directors are former civil servants. They include the Pingtung County Chief, Bureau of Construction Chief, National Tax Administration Chief, and Bureau of Cultural Affairs Chief. Suspicions are unavoidable. Did County Chief Su establish foundations, submit bids to the county government, use public funds in the name of his foundation to sponsor "public" activities? Did he use public funds from the county treasury to bolster his own reputation? The foundation directors were all high ranking officials in the county government. Was the government in bed with business? Did the two have a black gold relationship? Such suspicions are unavoidable. No wonder outsiders have demanded that the Su Jia-chyuan Foundation open its books. Yet Su Jia-chyuan had the chutzpah to stipulate, "subject to board approval." All we need is one look at the fantastic and absurd roster of board members.

Su Jia-chyuan's appalling string of scandals is likely to result in criminal prosecution. Yet the DPP insists on standing behind such an individual. Su Jia-chyuan could become Vice President of the Republic of China. The DPP has no qualms about making someone like Su Jia-chyuan vice president. It has no qualms about subverting the standards political leaders on Taiwan ought to have. After all, if the vice president can do such things, why can't others?

Can you get away with illegally constructing a luxury mansion on agricultural land? The Vice President can. Can your older brother get away with paving over agricultural land with concrete and using it as a night market for 20 years, all the while charging "electric light fees?" The Vice President can. Can you as county chief get away with dismantling other peoples' bootlegged buildings, while allowing your wife to rent out space in her own bootlegged building? The Vice President can. Can you as county chief get away with openly appointing the National Tax Administration Commissioner to the board of your foundation? The Vice President can. Can you get away with purchasing a townhouse completed by the builder 14 years ago, yet "reserved for you," at half price? The Vice President can.

If a majority of the voters oppose this appalling subversion of political and moral standards, then Su Jia-chyuan will not pass muster in this election. Even assuming Tsai and Su emerge victorious, they will not succeed in their political and moral subversion. Tsai Ing-wen and Su Jia-chyuan will not squeak by. Because such a vice president will be incapable of commanding public respect.

Furthermore, the vice president is not exempt from criminal prosecution. Will Su Jia-chyuan's next stop be the Presidential Palace, or the Special Investigation Unit?

蘇嘉全的下一站：總統府或特偵組？
【聯合報╱社論】 2011.11.02

在造勢場合，「黑面型男」蘇嘉全高大的身形，站在相對嬌小的蔡英文後方；非但映襯出二人在身貌外觀的對比，如今也成了人格形象的反差對照。

嬌小的蔡英文，顯然在身軀上擋不住高大的蘇嘉全；而被稱為「可愛」的蔡英文，又如何揹得動人格疑竇如此陰沉的蘇嘉全？

自從蘇嘉全的貪腐醜聞接二連三、沒完沒了地曝光，這場大選對民進黨就有了新的任務。亦即：不能讓蘇嘉全被貪腐醜聞壓垮，要不然蔡英文就會被蘇嘉全壓垮。因此，民進黨必須力挺已被貪腐醜聞折騰得不成模樣的蘇嘉全；否則，蘇嘉全過不了關，蔡英文就不能當選，民進黨就不能再執政。

但是，民進黨難道想用選票將蘇嘉全漂白嗎？選票又難道能將蘇嘉全漂白嗎？話說到底，民進黨若勝選，就能證明蘇嘉全的所作所為皆為正當合法嗎？或者，民進黨是想用選票將蘇嘉全的人格標準變成台灣政治道德的新標準嗎？

蘇嘉全使這場大選變成了一場政治道德標準的拉鋸戰。民進黨認為，如此人格可議的蘇嘉全應當出任中華民國副總統；但批評者認為，如果這樣人格可議的蘇嘉全可以出任中華民國副總統，台灣政壇尚有何道德標準可言？

蘇嘉全家族已被揭爆的貪腐醜聞，包括祖墳占公地、豪華農舍非農用、哥哥將農地鋪水泥開了二十年夜市、表兄經營砂石生意、太太有間違章建築收租、太太的姐姐也有一幢豪華農舍……；這些爭議，目前尚只停留在「社會觀瞻」的層次，但其中任何一案皆有可能順藤摸瓜爆出一個攸關官箴的刑案。

蘇嘉全公布了財產，竟掀起更大的風暴。別人代他算帳，發現蘇家的保單、基金及房貸，每月須支出七十五萬元，年支九百萬；如此驚人的財務實力，卻未見他解釋「財產來源不明」的問題。

更勁爆的是屏東市忠孝路二八一號的三連棟五層透天厝，如今被質疑是在民國八十三年落成後，即由蘇嘉全闢作社交場所；由於全棟皆無樑柱，被認為是「量身裁製」，包括曾作為「水噹噹後援會」的聚會處；卻竟延至十四年後的民國九十七年，即蘇嘉全卸任公職的當年，始由建商「過戶」給蘇家剛成年的二女。至於購屋價款，據稱是自備款六百萬，貸款六百萬，僅及當年市價的半數。

再者，此處透天厝又為「椰林文教基金會」的據點，而基金會除由蘇嘉全夫婦領銜，所有董事皆曾具公職身分，包括屏東縣代縣長、建設局長、稅務局長及文化局長等；最起碼的疑點是，蘇縣長自創基金會，向縣政府標案，用公款以基金會名義舉辦「公益」活動，如此豈不是用「縣政府」的公帑去成就了「蘇嘉全」個人的名聲？更何況這些位居縣府要津的一級主管官員具為基金會董事，曾否藉勢藉端操作政商黑金關係，亦屬嫌疑重大；難怪外界要蘇嘉全公布基金會帳目，他竟說「須經董事會同意」，那就且先看看董事會精彩絕倫又荒謬絕倫的名單吧！

蘇嘉全種種駭人聽聞的醜聞，極有可能演成刑事案件。但民進黨卻力挺這樣的蘇嘉全，要這樣的蘇嘉全成為中華民國的副總統，也就是欲以蘇嘉全這樣的副總統，全盤挑戰並顛覆台灣政治人物應有的道德操守標準！因為，副總統能，別人為何不能？

你能蓋那樣的豪華農舍而不農用嗎？副總統能。你的哥哥能將農地水泥化而經營二十年收「電燈費」的夜市嗎？副總統能。你能當縣長去拆別人的違建，但自己的太太竟用違建收租嗎？副總統能。你能當縣長將稅務局長及建設局長納為基金會董事而對外施展嗎？副總統能。你能以市價的半數買到建商十四年前落成的透天厝「保留戶」嗎？副總統能。

如果多數選民反對這場政治道德的大顛覆，蘇嘉全在這場大選就過不了關；反之，倘若蔡蘇勝選，卻也未必就能完成這一場政治道德的大顛覆，蔡英文及蘇嘉全必定是「頭過，身不過」。因為：這樣的副總統，如何教人尊敬？

何況，副總統並無「刑事追訴豁免權」；蘇嘉全的下一站，是總統府，還是特偵組？