By Shih Hsiu-chuan and Mo Yan-chih / Staff Reporters
Chinese Nationalist Party (KMT) Legislator Chiu Yi (邱毅) yesterday filed a complaint with the Control Yuan against the Pingtung County Government over a farmhouse owned by Democratic Progressive Party (DPP) vice presidential candidate Su Jia-chyuan (蘇嘉全).
Chiu charged the Pingtung County Government with “negligence of duty” and asked the government watchdog to look into the responsibilities of Pingtung County Commissioner Tsao Chi-hung (曹啟鴻), Urban and Rural Development Department Director Huang Chao-chung (黃肇崇) and Agricultural Department Director Lin Chin-ho (林景和).
Chiu said the officials had failed to enforce the Regulations Governing Agricultural Dwelling Houses (農業用地興建農舍辦法) by allowing Su’s wife, Hung Heng-chu (洪恆珠), a public servant, to build the farmhouse on a 2,505m2 plot of agricultural land in Changchih Township (長治).
Su maintains the farmhouse is legitimate. The Pingtung County Government said on Monday that the farmhouse did not violate regulations as the building does not exceed 10 percent of the total land area, as regulated, and fruit trees and seedlings are being grown on the land for agricultural purposes.
At a press conference held earlier at the KMT legislative caucus office, Council of Agriculture Chief Secretary Tai Yu-yen (戴玉燕) said that Article 3 of the regulations stipulated that only farmers can apply to build a farmhouse, adding that use of farmland was restricted to farming.
Chiu accused Su of being “shameless” for comparing his “luxury farmhouse” with one owned by Eric Chen (陳瑞仁), a prosecutor at the Hsinchu District Prosecutors’ Office, which serves as storage for his farming equipment.
“As a former minister of the council, Su should understand the regulations and know that he has violated the rules. He should have the courage to admit his mistake,” Chiu said.
On a visit to Fangliao, Su said his wife had filed an application with the council and the Pingtung County Government for a joint inspection to determine the final status of her property.
Su urged the council, which is siding with Chiu, and the county government, which said the purchase of the property and the construction were legal, to clear up the controversy as soon as possible.
Once the final status is determined, Su said, he would do whatever is necessary to remedy the problem, from paying a fine or doing modifications to demolishing the house.
The KMT also put pressure on Su and the DPP, saying they should address the issue seriously.
“DPP Chairperson Tsai Ing-wen (蔡英文) launched her nationwide tour today. She should make the first stop at Su’s farmhouse in Pingtung and let us know whether it was a real farmhouse or a luxury home built disguised as a farm cottage,” KMT spokesperson Lai Su-ju (賴素如) said at KMT headquarters.
President Ma Ying-jeou’s (馬英九) re-election campaign office spokesman Yin Wei (殷瑋) said Su and his wife’s attempt to legalize the use of their farmhouse only deepened public concerns about Su’s integrity and behavior.
Failing to explain the matter would clearly have a negative impact on the DPP’s presidential and legislative election campaigns, he said.
“Chairperson Tsai should stop defending Su amid the disputes. Only by explaining the matter clearly can the controversies surrounding Su’s farmhouse come to an end,” he said.
Additional reporting by Chris Wang