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  #121  
Old Posted Feb 22, 2013, 9:15 AM
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Taipei Twin Towers tender winner loses eligibility to take on project
2013/02/22 13:53:33





Taipei, Feb. 22 (CNA) The consortium that won the tender to build the Taipei Twin Towers has failed to put up a performance guarantee by the required deadline, losing its right to undertake the major development project, the Taipei City government said Friday.

The consortium led by Taipei Gateway International Development Co., Ltd. failed to deposit the NT$1.89 billion (US$63.69 million) required to an account designated by the city government by midnight, the deadline for signing the contract for the project.

The company will also lose its bid bond of NT$130 million.

The city government will now negotiate with the company that finished second in the bidding -- BES Engineering Corp. -- to undertake the over NT$70 billion project.

BES Engineering had questioned the qualifications and financial strength of Taipei Gateway International Development when the consortium was awarded the project in October 2012.

The Twin Towers will serve as the hub for the MRT line that will connect Taipei to Taiwan Taoyuan International Airport and also link the city's railway lines, metro systems and bus terminals.

The buildings are also expected to house offices, hotel rooms and retail space.

(By Johnson Sun and Lilian Wu)
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  #122  
Old Posted Feb 22, 2013, 5:46 PM
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For those fond of maths, it's has been 2774 days or 7 years, 7 months, and 2 days since Fumihiko Maki was awarded the design contract.

http://www.taipeitimes.com/News/biz/.../20/2003264300
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  #123  
Old Posted Feb 23, 2013, 3:47 AM
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For those fond of maths, it's has been 2774 days or 7 years, 7 months, and 2 days since Fumihiko Maki was awarded the design contract.

http://www.taipeitimes.com/News/biz/.../20/2003264300
Still counting
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  #124  
Old Posted Feb 23, 2013, 3:58 PM
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'Twin Towers' top bidder disqualified

By Ted Chen ,The China Post
February 23, 2013, 12:01 am TWN


TAIPEI, Taiwan -- The bid for the “Taipei Twin Towers” development resulted in an upset yesterday, with the inability of the forerunning bidder Taipei Gateway International Development Co. Ltd. (TGID, 太極雙星) to fulfill stipulated terms rendering the contract nullified, according to officials in Taipei.



The development's contract stipulates that funds equal to 3 percent of total construction costs, or NT$1.89 billion, must be wired to a designated bank account for Taipei's Department of Rapid Transit Systems (DORTS, 台北捷運工程局) by midnight Feb. 22, which did not take place.

At 11:42 p.m. on Feb. 22, TGID faxed in a proof of fund transfer stating that two wires of US$50 million had been made.

However, yesterday morning the DORTS received word from Fubon Bank (富邦銀行) that there is no sign of the funds.

DORTS Commissioner Richard Chen (陳樁亮) yesterday stated that his responsibility for the failed deal will be determined by Taipei City Mayor Hau Lung-bin (郝龍斌).

However, when prompted at another event, Hau yesterday declined to comment on the situation, stating that all public announcements on the subject will be made by the DORTS.

Chen also said that an investigation will be launched to determine if TGID is guilty of forgery.

According to Chen, TGID's attempt to explain the circumstances of the shortfall of funds over the phone yesterday morning was rejected by the DORTS, as such discussion is moot after the dissolution of contract.

The bidding process will continue with the runner-up bidder BES Constructions (BES, 中華工程), with identical contract terms, said Chen, adding that if BES retracts its bid then the project will move on to the third bidder in line. Chen pledged that the most stringent of standards will be enforced.

As of noon yesterday, a spokesperson from TGID could not be reached for comment.

Taipei City Councilor Angela Ying (應曉薇) stated that according to unnamed construction company executives, the terms of the Twin Towers project represent a challenge few entities are willing and capable of taking on.

According to Ying's sources, the terms stipulate that the developer may not sell any portion of the “Twin Towers” for 20 years. In addition, developers must be capable of handing over NT$20 billion to the Taipei City Government, which represents a commitment of NT$35 billion with interest payments included; a tremendous feat for any enterprise.

Ying concluded that the delay of the deal represents the squandering of public resources, while leading to further losses in political capital for the government in the eyes of the people. Ying urged the government to revise its bidding processes and parameters so that they are functional and fair.

Meanwhile, throughout yesterday's trading session, news of TGID's disqualification drew tremendous volatility to BES shares, with 100 million BES shares changing hands. BES shares closed up 4.21 percent at NT$9.16.

BES yesterday announced that it will proceed to continue with the bidding process with discretion, and will retract all previous lawsuits against the Taipei City Government concerning this matter.
http://www.chinapost.com.tw/taiwan/n...win-Towers.htm

Last edited by williamchung taiwan; Mar 6, 2013 at 9:14 AM.
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  #125  
Old Posted Feb 25, 2013, 8:13 AM
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雙子星案/被質疑買空賣空 中工暫不回應

〔記者劉榮、徐義平/台北報導〕台北雙子星開發案,第二順位的中華工程團隊敗部復活,但參與雙子星評審的大華技術學院教授藍武王說,中工團隊在評選時,最大敗筆就是幾乎只開發兩棟大樓,有多位評審都認為中工有「買空賣空」、「炒地皮」的嫌疑,對台北車站周邊的開發沒有太大著墨。

對此,中工總經理蔡維力僅說,目前尚未收到議約通知書,不方便發表任何意見,收到後會審慎評估,並選擇適當時機統一出面回應。

北市捷運局今天起,將展開與第二順位中華工程團隊的議約,捷運局官員私下也證實,中工開發建議書中明確指出,在二○一七年雙子星大樓落成前,就會將分回的樓地板面積以「預售」方式賣出,做為籌措興建雙子星所需的自有資金。

捷運局長陳椿亮也直言,捷運局的底限很清楚,就是不希望雙子星大樓的產權太過複雜,「我們追求的是一個願意整體經營的團隊,不是把樓地板拆散。」比較類似的模式,應像是統一集團經營台北轉運站,引進五星級飯店、百貨公司,對周邊的交通也能夠兼顧。

「天下沒有白吃的午餐,比起太極雙星,中工雖願意多給北市府十%,價值一七○億元樓地板面積,但雙方對財務規劃、經營方向的歧見若先不解決,還不如不要簽。」藍武王說,捷運局應採較強硬立場與中工議約,「了不起拉倒,重新再招標甄選理念相同的團隊,不必含淚簽約。」

據了解,去年十月廿八日的評審會議上,共有十七名評審出席,太極雙星以壓倒性分數,擊敗中工及億大團隊,中工除了在地主分回的樓地板以六十五%比卅五%,分數大勝其他兩家團隊外,在開發建議書的評分上,幾乎所有評審都一致給了低分,最後是靠地主權配比加的分數,才擠上第二名。

藍武王說,台北車站旁的京站大樓聯開案,讓台北車站交通雪上加霜,幾乎淪為惡夢,已經是血淋淋教訓,難道雙子星大樓還要重蹈覆轍?

他指出,雙子星案不是單純的兩棟摩天樓開發,還攸關台北車站特定專用區未來交通動線及周邊軸線翻轉,尤其必須一併解決南北車流穿越困難的問題,中工規劃的交通動線,看不出有車站特區的概念。

他表示,中工的開發計畫書中,對雙子星大樓前方的交六、交八(即臨忠孝西路的國光客運東、西站),並未一併納入規劃,未來兩處廣場若能開發成為行人廣場,阻絕小汽車及大客車進入,加上改善南北穿越困難的問題,才是雙子星開發的意義,「如果只是純粹買、賣樓地板,絕對不是台北市民之福。」

http://www.libertytimes.com.tw/2013/...5/today-e2.htm
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  #126  
Old Posted Mar 6, 2013, 8:49 AM
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williamchung7,講英文。
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  #127  
Old Posted Mar 6, 2013, 9:37 AM
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williamchung7,講英文。
Taipei city government has started negotiation with 2nd ranked bidder 中華工程. However, there are several concerns. 中華工程 does not come out best solution and plan to do this project. In its plan, 中華工程 plans to pre-sale it owned floor area (which is 35% of total floor area of Gate of Taipei) to get the funds for erecting Gate of Taipei. It has been given big question mark from authority during bidding process. Another concern is that 中華工程 does not come out comprehensive traffic-flow plan for the project. It has been concerned that additional traffic create by Gate of Taipei will make traffic in the area even worse. By the way, the plaza connect to Gate of Taipei via underground tunnel shown in promoted video are not in 中華工程 plan. That is Taipei International Gateway Company's idea. Committe criticise 中華工程 that their plan is narrow and too cheap.

I think government should declare this bid has been fail and start another bid as soon as possible.
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  #128  
Old Posted Mar 9, 2013, 3:10 AM
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Originally Posted by Coyett View Post
For those fond of maths, it's has been 2774 days or 7 years, 7 months, and 2 days since Fumihiko Maki was awarded the design contract.

http://www.taipeitimes.com/News/biz/.../20/2003264300
in the meantime, other countries like china, malaysia, and south korea, etc. built whole new cities in those 7 years.
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  #129  
Old Posted Mar 29, 2013, 5:06 AM
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Oh good, we have corruption involves this bid.
Some city councilors are faced allegation of corruption.
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  #130  
Old Posted Mar 31, 2013, 2:28 AM
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Taipei City councilor suspected of corruption released on bail
2013/03/29 12:51:03





Taipei, March 29 (CNA) Taipei City Councilor Lai Su-ju was released on NT$1.2 million (US$40,183) bail early Friday pending further investigation into alleged corruption in the bidding process for the Taipei Twin Towers project.

Two other suspects in the case -- Jia Er-ching, a former official with Taipei's Department of Rapid Transit Systems (DORTS), and Cheng Hung-tao, a construction contractor -- were also released on bail of NT$100,000 and NT$300,000, respectively.

Lai, a lawyer who also served as the director of the office maintained by President Ma Ying-jeou as chairman of the ruling Kuomintang, is suspected of having agreed to help a multinational consortium win the bid for the Twin Towers project in exchange for a promised kickback of NT$10 million.

Prosecutors allege that Cheng and Jia, on behalf of the consortium, went through one of Lai's friends to give Lai a down payment of NT$1 million in 2011.

Because the winner of the tender for the multibillion U.S. dollar project was determined by a special commission, the consortium hoped Lai could use her position as a city councilor to talk up the consortium's proposal and put it in a favorable position to get the contract, prosecutors allege.

The consortium, led by Taipei Gateway International Development, won the tender with a NT$70 billion bid last October, but it later lost its priority rights to the project in February this year after failing to put up a performance guarantee by the required deadline.

The company never paid Lai the balance of the NT$10 million it promised for winning the bid.

The Taipei Prosecutors Office summoned Lai, Cheng and Jia for questioning Wednesday and filed a request with the Taipei District Court to detain the trio to prevent collusion or the destruction of evidence.

The court denied the request in the early hours of Friday morning, instead deciding to release the three defendants on bail because it judged there was little chance of any collusion that would taint the trio's testimony.

The court said Cheng and Jia had already confessed during questioning to paying Lai a bribe, and Lai admitted to taking the NT$1 million payment though she denied wrongdoing, arguing that the money was a political donation rather than a bribe.

At the bail hearing, Lai insisted that she never lobbied the city government on the consortium's behalf but simply offered the city advice on the project.

Prosecutors said they respected the court's ruling but vowed to appeal it.

According to the court ruling, the three suspects are not allowed to change their residences in Taiwan without prior permission and are barred from leaving the country.

Known as one of President Ma's most trusted aides and legal consultants, Lai said after her release that she would fully cooperate in follow-up investigations to clear her name.

Lai also resigned from all of her KMT posts, including those of director of the KMT chairman's office and deputy head of the party's information department, "to avoid creating problems for her superiors," she said.

Ma apologized for Lai's alleged involvement in the graft case in his capacity as KMT chairman early Friday.

The Taipei Prosecutors Office said it discovered suspicious dealings involving the Taipei Twin Towers project as early as two years ago.

A special task force was then formed to investigate the matter and collect evidence, the office said.

The investigations hit a snag last December, however, when the issue went public after Taipei City Councilor Angela Ying filed a complaint with the prosecutors' office, alleging that the Twin Towers tender was marred by corruption and irregularities.

The complaint drew intense media attention, leading to a disruption of the investigation, prosecutors said. Since then, nearly half of their leads have been cut off or lost, they said.

"Some of the suspects in the case have since become far more cautious and have even changed their cell phone numbers," a prosecutor said.

Prosecutors said it was the right time to move against the suspects now that the winning bidder had lost its right to undertake the development project.

More than 100 prosecutors and agents from the Ministry of Justice's Investigation Bureau raided dozens of locations Wednesday, including Lai's offices and residences, and seized many documents, sources in the prosecutors office said.

The Twin Towers project, to be located near Taipei Railway Station, was designed to link the city's railway lines, metro systems and bus terminals and serve as the hub for the MRT line that will connect Taipei to Taiwan Taoyuan International Airport.

The city hoped that the two buildings would be completed by 2018.

(By Tsai Pei-chi and Sofia Wu)
enditem/ls
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  #131  
Old Posted May 10, 2013, 3:54 PM
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Magazine claims three city councilors part of Twin Towers scandal

By Lauly Li, The China Post
May 9, 2013, 12:08 am TWN



TAIPEI, Taiwan -- Taipei prosecutors yesterday said they will investigate claims made by a magazine that three Taipei city councilors may be involved in the Twin Towers bidding scandal, a charge that all three have rejected.



Next Magazine on Wednesday published an article claiming that Kuomintang (KMT) Taipei City Councilor Lee Ching-yuan (李慶元), Chin Li-fang (秦儷舫) and Democratic Progressive Party (DPP) Councilor Chuang Ruei-hsiung (莊瑞雄) were involved in the Twin Towers controversy. The three councilors reportedly bought high-end apartments at extremely low prices from a consortium with connections to Huang Cheng-kuo (黃承國), a figure suspected of involvement in the Twin Towers bidding scandal.

On Tuesday, Taipei prosecutors questioned Huang — a DPP member and vice chairman of the local consortium — as a suspect. Prosecutors allege that Huang violated the Company Act by helping the Twin Towers project's now disqualified bidder, Taipei Gateway International Development Co. Ltd., (TGID, 太極雙星), to bribe city councilors in an attempt to win the bid in October 2012.

Next Magazine claimed the three city councilors' purchase of the apartments was no coincident, suggesting instead that the apartments were a form of bribe from Huang that the three accepted, in the process guaranteeing their support for TGID's bid.

City Councilors Reject Claims

In response, the three city councilors held a press conference yesterday morning rejecting the allegations.

Lee said he bought the apartment in 2009, which was before the TGID tendered the Twin Towers bid, therefore there is no connection between the apartment and the TGID. Lee said that he criticized the TGID on various occasions in the past, noting that he would not do this if he had accepted the TGID's offer.

The building housing the three councilors' apartments was completed in 2012.

Chin said there is no way she could have been involved in the Twin Towers case, as she is not a member of the city council's transportation commission. Chin said that as she bought the apartment in 2010 it is reasonable that the apartment's market price is higher now than when she bought it.

Chuang also denied any connection between his apartment and the Twin Towers bid, adding that the timing of the speculation is suspicious given that the Taipei prosecutor questioned Huang on Tuesday and Next Magazine published their article the following day.

Taipei prosecutors said they searched Huang's consortium office on Tuesday as part of investigating fund sources for one of the other suspects, Cheng Hung-tao (程宏道), who has connections to TGID and is now being detained and held incommunicado over the case.

Prosecutors said they will continue investigating funds connected to TGID while also looking into Next Magazine's claims.

Since the Taipei prosecutor began investigating the Twin Towers bid in March, more than 10 people, including three Taipei City Government officials have been questioned over the case.

KMT City Councilor Lai Su-ju (賴素如) and real estate developer Cheng Hung-tao were detained and held incommunicado at the end of March.
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  #132  
Old Posted May 15, 2013, 5:39 AM
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Ex-officials to be questioned over Twin Towers

By Lauly Li, The China Post
May 14, 2013, 12:10 am TWN


TAIPEI, Taiwan -- The Taipei City Council's special Twin Towers investigative team yesterday said it had scheduled questioning for eight entities over the project's bidding process.



Among the people and organizations to be questioned will be the former head of the Department of Rapid Transit Systems (DORTS), Richard Chen (陳椿亮).

The questioning will begin next Monday.

The city council's cross-party investigative task force held its third meeting over the Twin Towers bid yesterday. New Party Taipei City Councilor Chen Yen-po (陳彥伯), who heads the team, said the investigation will look into four dimensions of the Twin Towers bid.

Chen said the task force aims to investigate the Twin Towers' bidding process, the standards surrounding investor selection, the bid-review regulation and the events on Feb. 21 and Feb. 22, when the now disqualified bidder, Taipei Gateway International Development Co., Ltd. (TGID, 太極雙星), failed to deposit the required performance guarantee of NT$1.89 billion.

Chen said that next Monday the team is set to question former head of DORTS Richard Chen, TGID Chairman Michael Ho (何岳儒), TGID consultant Lai Shih-sheng (賴世聲), and Da Cin Construction Co., Ltd. (Da Cin, 達欣工程). The consortium lent land to TGID while the firm was tendering its Twin Towers' bid.

The special investigative team will also question the second-place bidder and the third-place bidder regarding last year's bidding process, Chen said.

The team does not rule out the possibility of questioning Taipei Mayor Hau Lung-bin (郝龍斌) to clarify details surrounding the bidding process, Chen said, noting however that the team has not yet organized a fixed schedule.

Kuomintang (KMT) City Councilor Yang Shih-chiu (楊實秋) said he received a call from the Investigation Bureau on April 30. Yang said a bureau official told him that in light of respecting the city council's jurisdiction, the Investigation Bureau will not attend city council meetings regarding the Twin Towers investigation.

Yang said the Investigation Bureau told him that they will interview relevant officials in the Taipei City Government and city councilors to clarify their roles in the bidding process.

The Taipei City Government is currently organizing an accreditation agreement that is to be sent to BES. Once the agreement is sent to BES, the firm has 30 days to decide if they will consent to the terms proposed by the city government and sign the contract for the project, according to Taipei City Government.
http://www.chinapost.com.tw/taiwan/n...ficials-to.htm
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  #133  
Old Posted Jun 4, 2013, 9:28 AM
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http://www.taipeitimes.com/News/taiw...003563459Court extends Lai Su-ju’s detention over Twin Towers


By Rich Chang / Staff reporter






The Taipei District Court yesterday granted the prosecutors’ request to detain Chinese Nationalist Party (KMT) Taipei City Councilor Lai Su-ju (賴素如) for another two months.

Lai, a confidante of President Ma Ying-jeou (馬英九), stands accused of taking bribes related to the Taipei Twin Towers project.

She was first detained on March 30 and will now be detained for another two months starting tomorrow, the court said yesterday.

The court ruled that there was a risk that Lai would collude with others to change their testimony if she was not in detention and able to communicate with them.

A consortium led by Taipei Gateway International Development Co (太極雙星) won the tender in October last year with a NT$70 billion (US$2.34 billion) bid.

However, it lost the rights to the project in February, when it failed to put up a performance bond by the required deadline.

Prosecutors allege that Lai struck a deal with the consortium to receive a NT$10 million bribe in three installments — NT$1 million as a down payment, NT$3 million after Taipei Gateway International Development had signed the contract with the Taipei City Government to build the Twin Towers and NT$6 million once construction had started.

Lai has admitted to taking a NT$1 million payment, but said she considered it to be a “political donation.”

She said she returned the money after realizing that it had come from the consortium.

Lai, a lawyer who served as director of the KMT chairman’s office for President Ma Ying-jeou (馬英九), had her KMT membership suspended.




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  #134  
Old Posted Jul 15, 2013, 6:03 AM
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以上圖為北市府捷運工程局北區工程處之照片,雙子星站體的5/30進度
http://www.ndpo.dorts.gov.tw/ct.asp?...2504&mp=115041
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  #135  
Old Posted Jul 19, 2013, 9:57 PM
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those must be the shortest skyscrapers ever.
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  #136  
Old Posted Sep 6, 2013, 1:58 PM
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Former Taipei official indicted in graft probe

NO ‘LEADING ROLE’:Chiu Da-chan defended himself, saying he was just one of 17 committee members who reviewed the Twin Towers bid and had little influence

By Rich Chang and Mo Yan-chih / Staff reporters







Taipei Mayor Hau Lung-bin walks away from reporters gathered at Taipei City Hall without commenting on the indictment of former Taipei City Government Department of Finance commissioner Chiu Da-chan in connection with the Taipei Twin Towers project.

Photo: CNA


Former Taipei City Government Department of Finance commissioner Chiu Da-chan (邱大展) and four others were indicted by the Taipei District Prosecutors’ Office yesterday for breach of trust and other charges over alleged misconduct during the bidding process for the Taipei Twin Towers project.

A consortium led by Taipei Gateway International Development Co (太極雙星) won the tender in October last year with a bid of NT$70 billion (US$2.4 billion), but lost the rights to the project in February when it failed to put up a NT$1.89 billion performance guarantee by a deadline.

The prosecutors’ office said Chiu had been charged with breach of trust, while consortium chairman Michael Ho (何岳儒), company spokesman Wang You-jen (王佑仁), contractor Cheng Hung-dao (程宏道) and former Taipei City Department of Rapid Transit Systems (DORTS) official Jia Er-ching (賈二慶) were charged with fraud and forgery.

Prosecutors recommended that the Taipei District Court give them heavy sentences.

Prosecutors said Cheng and Jia forged the company seals of Malaysia-based IGB Corp Bhd and Mid Valley City Sdn Bhd and used them in its contract with DORTS, which said the two companies had joined the consortium.

The consortium also made forged documents that said Japanese developer Mori Building had joined it, which Mori said was false, prosecutors said.

Prosecutors said the consortium provided false documents to the Taipei City Government and the 17 members of a committee reviewing the bid in the knowledge that it had no capability to handle such a project, but planned to win the bid and then sell shares in the consortium and hand most of the project to other companies to make illegal profits.

Taipei Mayor Hau Lung-bin (郝龍斌) said the city government respected Chiu’s indictment.

Hau has repeatedly vouched for Chiu’s innocence since the bribery allegations surfaced in February. He maintained a low-key stance on the issue yesterday and said the city government would determine the future of the project after it had received a report on the indictments.

The project has been stalled since Taipei Gateway International Development Co failed to provide the performance bond in February.

The city government has been negotiating a new contract with second-placed bidder BES Engineering Corp (中華工程) amid concerns that the project could be canceled or a new bidding process be initiated.

Hau has said the city government would proceed with the project unless prosecutors confirm that the bidding process was illegal.

Chiu defended himself in a written statement, criticizing prosecutors for fabricating crimes and damaging his reputation.

He said the bidding process was handled by DORTS and the finance department had checked the financial records of the consortium before listing it as a legitimate bidder, adding that as just one of the 17 committee members reviewing the bid, he had little influence in the bidding process.

“I did not play a leading role in the bidding process. Besides, 16 out of 17 review committee members gave the consortium the highest score based on their own assessments. I had no control over their decisions,” he said.

He dismissed concerns about his frequent contacts with Ho and Wang, insisting that he was eliminating obstacles for investors to facilitate the project in a “partnership.”

“Prosecutors mistook my proactive approach in promoting public construction projects as acts to profit private investors. This is a blow against all government officials who are responsible for public construction projects,” he said.

Taipei City Councilor Lai Su-ju (賴素如) of the Chinese Nationalist Party (KMT), a former aide to President Ma Ying-jeou (馬英九), has also been indicted over her alleged involvement in the corruption allegations.

Taipei City councilors across party lines yesterday urged the city government to nullify the project, with Democratic Progressive Party Taipei City Councilor Chiang Chi-ming (江志銘) saying that Chiu’s indictment proved the bidding process was illegal and that it should be nullified.
http://www.taipeitimes.com/News/fron...5/2003571386/1
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Old Posted Sep 9, 2013, 1:30 PM
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Ex-finance commissioner indicted over Twin Towers

By Lauly Li ,The China Post
September 5, 2013, 12:01 am TWN


TAIPEI, Taiwan -- Taipei prosecutors yesterday indicted former Taipei Finance Department Commissioner Chiu Da-chan (邱大展) for his role in the controversial Twin Towers bidding process.



The Taipei District Prosecutors Office also indicted Taipei Gateway International Development Co., Ltd. (TGID, 太極雙星) Chairman Michael Ho (何岳儒), real estate developer Cheng Hung-tao (程宏道), TGID spokesman Wang Yo-ren (王佑仁) and former Taipei Department of Rapid Transit Systems (DORTS) official Chia Erh-ching (賈二慶).

Prosecutors charged Chiu with breach of trust; Ho, Cheng and Wang with fraud; and Chia with forgery.

TGID, the now-disqualified winner of a tender to build the Twin Towers project, in February failed to deposit a required guarantee of NT$1.89 billion. The indictment claims that TGID is a shell company.

Ho is accused of conspiring with Wang to mislead the Twin Towers' bidding review committee members to ensure that TGIF won the bid.

Prosecutors said that Chiu knew TGID's bidding documents did not reflect the firm's actual financial situation, but that he helped the firm to “cover up” the documents in the review committee meetings.

Chiu's actions misled review committee members and resulted in TGID unjustly winning the contract, severely tarnishing the image of the Taipei City Government and violating his obligations as finance commissioner, prosecutors said.

In a statement issued yesterday afternoon following the indictment, Chiu said that he has been working in government for over 35 years and that at no point in his career has he received a bribe or had inappropriate connections with a company.

The accusations in the indictment are false and he will prove his innocence in court, Chiu stated.

Taipei City Mayor Hau Lung-bin (郝龍斌) said he respects Taipei prosecutors' jurisdiction in the Twin Towers investigation but refused to elaborate until having read the indictment.

Taipei government spokesman Edward Chang (張其強) said the city will read and discuss the indictment before deciding whether to nullify the entire Twin Towers bidding process and start again.

Prosecutors questioned Chiu over the project in August; the city later approved Chiu's resignation as commissioner. He currently serves as a government adviser.

Kuomintang City Councilor Angela Ying (應曉薇) said it has been over 200 days since the Twin Towers scandal broke and that there has been no progress since then.

Ying said the government should apologize to its citizens over the delay.
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Old Posted Oct 9, 2014, 3:31 PM
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BES protests 'Taipei Twin Towers' stipulations

By Ted Chen, The China Post
September 30, 2014, 12:03 am TWN






























TAIPEI, Taiwan -- BES Construction Co. (BES, 中華工程) yesterday railed against what it perceived as an unreasonable list of 10 additional stipulations tacked on by the Taipei City Government as the company finalizes contract terms to build the “Taipei Twin Towers” (雙子星) project.




Among the list of demands is that the company will be required to secure a financing guarantee for the NT$65.3 billion in capital required to carry out the bid within 30 days of notice on Sept. 5.

The company deemed the Taipei City Government's sudden demand as absurd, an impossible feat unlikely to garner the consent of banks.

Most notably, BES yesterday raised the question of whether the requirement is designed to displace its claim to the project, paving the way for another company favored by Taipei City Mayor Hau Lung-bin.

Twin Towers Project's Rocky History

The Twin Towers project in February last year came to a halt following the inability of the forerunning bidder Taipei Gateway International Development Co. Ltd. (TGID, 太極雙星) in fulfilling stipulated terms, rendering the contract nullified. TGID at the time failed to produce funds equal to 3 percent of total construction costs, or NT$1.89 billion. In November last year, the Taipei City Government notified BES that as the runner-up bidder, the company would be awarded the contract. TGID's failed bid had also resulted in imprisonment on corruption charges for ruling party Taipei City Counselor Lai Su-ju (賴素如) for her role in securing the contract for TGID, which was later found to be an ill-equipped paper company.

Despite its protest yesterday, the company maintained that it does not wish to relinquish its claim to the project, and that it will take legal actions should they be "wronged" by the Taipei City Government.




BES stated that they have met with the Taipei City Government on three occasions since February of last year to discuss the specifics of the contract, and that with the exception of terms demanding prepayment of public infrastructure on the project, the company has consented to required stipulations.

The company noted that their outrage is attributed to the 10 additional stipulations tacked on by the Taipei Department of Rapid Transit Systems (DORTS, 捷運局) without prior notice on top of the eight previously agreed-upon terms, a situation found by BES to be contrary to the conventions of business conduct and ethics.

BES executive Wu Guo-sun (吳郭森) added that dialogue between the company and the Taipei City Government ceased on Feb. 27, and that low-level officials remained clueless on the progress of the project and the intent of their superiors over the past 10 months. Wu stated that he could not fathom how the additional terms were conceived.

Meanwhile, in response the DORTS stated that BES had previously consented to the terms, and that the added stipulations are designed to secure funding for the project should the company fail to complete construction and preserve the interests of the public. The DORTS added that Oct. 6 is the deadline for BES to sign the contract.
http://www.chinapost.com.tw/business...S-protests.htm
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Old Posted Oct 9, 2014, 3:32 PM
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Second firm loses towers project


By Abraham Gerber / Staff reporter






BES Engineering Corp (中華工程) is no longer eligible to sign a contract to complete the Taipei Twin Towers project (雙子星), the Taipei City Government said yesterday.

The project is to construct two skyscrapers to serve as the linchpin connecting the future Taiwan Taoyuan International Airport MRT line with Taipei Main Station, the hub of most of the city’s railway and MRT lines.

BES was originally the runner-up among firms bidding for the construction project, but was awarded the tender last year after the previous winner, Taipei Gateway International Development Co, withdrew due to corruption scandals.

Last month, the city government imposed a strict series of conditions for signing a contract, requiring the firm to pay upfront for previous construction work on the site and also provide written guarantees from banks proving the firm possessed adequate liquidity to complete the project.

Taipei City Government spokesman Chang Chi-chiang (張其強) said that because the firm had failed to provide the deposit and written guarantees required by the midnight Monday deadline, it had officially lost its eligibility to sign a contract for the project.

The city’s announcement comes on the heels of the Taipei High Administrative Court’s rejection of BES’ appeal for an injunction against the government.

The court’s decision affirmed the government’s position, stating that the government had good reasons for imposing the strict conditions for signing the contract.

The court said that even if BES was unable to meet the government’s conditions, there was no reason to believe other firms would be unable to do so.

So long as the government imposed similar conditions on future bidders, there were no grounds for judicial intervention in the negotiation process, the court said.

BES Engineering representatives could not be reached for comment.

“If a firm signs a contract for the Taipei Twin Towers project, it has to be able to guarantee the project will be completed and that project quality will be maintained,” Taipei Mayor Hau Lung-bin (郝龍斌) said, adding that the city would continue to require such guarantees from any future contractors.

He declined to say whether the city would award the tender to the bidder next in line or start a new round of bidding, saying only that the city would make a decision as soon as possible.
http://www.taipeitimes.com/News/taiw.../08/2003601583
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