Lin Feng-cheng, head of Taiwan's Ill-gotten Party Assets Settlement Committee, on Sept. 20 criticised Supreme Administrative Court rulings against the committee in three Kuomintang asset cases, drawing rebukes from the court and the KMT. The cases concerned the KMT's former central headquarters, National Development Institute land and the Daxiao Building, and the court found the committee could not prove the KMT obtained them without payment or at an improper price, PTS reported. The losses, which the Liberty Times reported sank NT$5.11 billion in claims, are final.
What did Lin say? Lin said that by adding this test for assets already disposed of, the court had left the party-assets act's intent an empty shell, CNA reported. He called the reading overly narrow and at odds with the Grand Justices' Interpretation No. 793 on transitional justice, and said it turned profits from assets the KMT had sold into legal property. He said the government had pursued close to NT$100 billion in party assets across more than a decade, with more than NT$18.22 billion certain to go to the state, the Liberty Times reported.
How did the court respond? The court said it ruled according to law and that transitional-justice slogans could not justify unlawful rulings; its spokesman, Chang Kuo-hsun, quoted by PTS, said a dissatisfied party could seek remedies through the existing system. It also said the committee's strongly subjective criticism lacked the respect for the rule of law expected of a government agency, CNA reported.
What did the parties say? Chen I-hsin, head of the KMT's culture and communications committee, said the party-assets committee had produced no evidence and attacked the court after losing, and that Lin should apologise to the judiciary. He said KMT chair 
Cheng Li-wun had said any reclaimed assets would go first to debts and staff pensions, with the rest donated to charity, CNA reported. Democratic Progressive Party legislator Chung Chia-pin said Lin was commenting at an academic seminar on a final ruling, not interfering with the court.
What happened to the committee's pay? KMT legislator Weng Hsiao-ling had proposed deleting NT$2.629 million in pay for the committee's political appointees and freezing Premier Cho Jung-tai's salary from September to December, the Liberty Times reported. President 
Lai Ching-te promulgated the central government budget on Sept. 18 with an instruction that the legislature should not cut or freeze personnel costs, and Lin said the budget office had cleared the officials' pay. Cho's frozen salary is also set to be paid.
Figures referenced: Cheng Li-wun, Lai Ching-te. — JudgeMarket.
