Friday, November 22, 2013

No assistance to Polish envoy with traffic ticket: MOFA

By Chris Wang  /  Staff reporter

The Ministry of Foreign Affairs (MOFA) on Wednesday denied using its influence to have a Polish official’s speeding ticket in Taipei voided two years ago, saying that the Warsaw Trade Office had paid the NT$8,000 fine.

A Taipei-based official of the office was fined for speeding at 140kph at about 2am on Oct. 10, 2011 on the Xinyi Expressway, which has a speed limit of 70kph, Taiwan Solidarity Union Legislator Huang Wen-ling (黃文玲) told a press conference.

The ministry helped get the ticket voided, Huang said, adding that the practice of voiding traffic tickets for foreign diplomats was common practice.

“Foreign diplomats should not use official business as a reason to evade legal responsibilities,” Huang said.

Chiu Tai-chin (邱太欽), deputy director of the ministry’s Department of Protocol, said the ministry did not void the Pole’s ticket.

Of the 350 traffic violations by diplomatic corps members since 2010, the ministry voided 22 tickets, including 19 for parking fees and parking violations, Chiu said.