Ma Ying-jeou's Office Accuses Ex-CEO of Financial Misconduct; High-Speed Rail Suffers Major Delay

Former Taiwan President Ma Ying-jeou's office has accused the former CEO of the Ma Ying-jeou Foundation, Hsiao Hsu-tsen, of financial impropriety. The accusation was made public by former National Security Council Secretary-General King Pu-tsung, who was commissioned by Ma. King released a photograph showing Hsiao Hsu-tsen and Taiwanese businessman Han Ying-huan holding a large sum of cash, allegedly a donation from Han.

Hsiao Hsu-tsen responded by stating he does not handle money at the foundation. He claimed the funds were a personal donation to Ma Ying-jeou from the businessman and that the year-end bonuses were disbursed from Ma's personal account. King Pu-tsung, however, emphasized that Ma wishes for the matter to be investigated swiftly and that his role is to clarify the facts. He stated that Ma's wishes regarding any subsequent actions should be respected.

In separate news, Taiwan High Speed Rail (THSR) suffered its most significant delay in years on May 25, impacting an estimated 200,000 to 240,000 passengers. The disruption, caused by a malfunction in a signal control system during a switch replacement, led to the cancellation of many services and a reduced schedule of three trains per hour with open seating. THSR spokesperson Chou Yu-wen stated that a full inspection would occur after the last train on Monday, with an update to be announced before the first train on Tuesday. Transportation Minister Chen Shih-kai apologized to affected passengers.