DPP accuses Taipei Mayor Chiang Wan-an of 'political fraud' over vaccine procurement claims

Taiwan's Democratic Progressive Party (DPP) has accused Taipei Mayor Chiang Wan-an of "political fraud" for allegedly spreading false information regarding COVID-19 vaccine procurement. The accusations stem from Chiang's past criticisms of then-Health Minister Chen Shih-chung concerning the procurement of BNT vaccines by the Tzu Chi Foundation, which reportedly suffered a NT$1.06 billion (approximately $32 million) fraud.

DPP officials, including legislator Lin Chu-yin and party spokesperson Wu Cheng, held a press conference to present their case. They asserted that Chiang, in his capacity as the convener of the legislative Health and Environment Committee at the time, possessed knowledge of the procurement restrictions and liability clauses. Despite this alleged inside knowledge, the DPP claims Chiang deliberately misrepresented the situation to undermine Chen Shih-chung during his mayoral campaign.

“

political fraud

Dr. Wen Shih-cheng, who facilitated Taiwan's acquisition of AstraZeneca vaccines through Oxford University, supported the DPP's claims. He stated that international vaccine purchases require specific clauses like emergency use authorization (EUA) and liability waivers, which only governments can provide. Wen argued that Chiang distorted the government's role in facilitating private procurement into an accusation of obstruction, a narrative he claims Chiang has perpetuated for four years.

Lin Chu-yin further criticized Chiang for allegedly misinterpreting government documents, which are typically kept for 30 years, as "confidential" to support his narrative. The DPP is demanding an apology from Chiang, stating that the truth about the vaccine procurement process is now emerging. They also criticized the Kuomintang (KMT) for continuing to claim the government was not proactive enough in securing vaccines, arguing that Taiwan had already secured sufficient supplies of AZ and Moderna vaccines before the BNT deal, and that misinformation fueled the Tzu Chi fraud.

“

the truth about the vaccine procurement process is now emerging.