Tzu Chi allegedly defrauded of over $30 million in vaccine deal; media questions internal issues

The Tzu Chi Foundation faces allegations of being defrauded of NT$1.06 billion (approximately $32 million USD) in "consulting fees" during its procurement of 5 million doses of the BNT vaccine during the pandemic.

Veteran media personality Wang Shang-chih has drawn comparisons between Tzu Chi's vaccine procurement and those undertaken by the Yonglin Foundation and TSMC. He pointed out that neither of those entities encountered similar issues with exorbitant commission fees. Wang expressed strong skepticism about Tzu Chi's handling of the transaction, stating, "Tzu Chi's senior management itself is certainly 100% problematic."

Wang questioned the necessity for Tzu Chi to engage intermediaries and pay such a significant sum in commissions. He noted that Terry Gou's Yonglin Foundation actively sought BNT vaccine sources publicly and successfully contacted the manufacturer directly. This led Wang to question why Tzu Chi did not follow a similar, more direct approach.

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Tzu Chi's senior management itself is certainly 100% problematic.

Furthermore, Wang expressed surprise that Tzu Chi, widely believed to possess a substantial international medical and procurement network, was allegedly defrauded by a domestic company. He suggested that individuals with experience in international procurement and cross-border remittances should have conducted more thorough due diligence on the intermediary's credentials and qualifications. The situation struck him as difficult to comprehend.

Wang concluded by suggesting that Tzu Chi might have avoided the controversy by jointly procuring with the Yonglin Foundation or by signing a separate contract, similar to TSMC's approach. He emphatically questioned why Tzu Chi insisted on paying an extra NT$1 billion in commissions and did not proactively initiate legal action afterward, implying that such actions suggest underlying issues within the foundation.

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Why did Tzu Chi insist on paying an extra NT$1 billion in commissions, and why did it not proactively sue afterward? How can there be no ghosts in this?! Even an old lady on the street wouldn't believe it.