‘SMEAR CAMPAIGN’:Singda Harbor cost NT$7.5bn to build and its disuse troubled the city, so it launched an aggressive search for partners, the Kaohsiung mayor said

Taipei Times
Date: Nov 16, 2017
By: Wang Jung-hsiang, Ke Yu-hao and Jonathan Chin  /  Staff reporters, with staff writer

Kaohsiung Marine Bureau Director-General Wang Tuan-jen (王端仁) on Tuesday tendered his resignation following a leaked audio recording from October last year of him discussing the lease of Singda Harbor (興達港) to Ching Fu Shipbuilding Co (慶富造船).

Kaohsiung Mayor Chen Chu (陳菊) approved Wang’s resignation that evening.

The city spent a great deal of money to build Singda Harbor, Wang said in a statement, adding that the port’s underutilization and its coming under scrutiny by the Control Yuan have troubled him deeply.

As a result, he led the bureau to seek opportunities for work with the private sector so it would revitalize the harbor, Wang said.

Wang denied any wrongdoing, saying that the city did not sign a memorandum of understanding with Ching Fu to allow the shipbuilder use of the harbor, nor did it made any quid pro quo exchanges.    [FULL  STORY]