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COA vice minister impeached

COA vice minister impeached

COA vice minister impeached

TAIPEI (Taiwan News) – Council of Agriculture Vice Minister James Sha was impeached by the Control Yuan Tuesday for illegally expanding a building on agricultural land in Yilan County.
Building villas and bed and breakfasts on land reserved for agriculture has been a persistent problem in the northeastern region of Taiwan.
A committee of the Control Yuan, the nation’s top government watchdog, voted nine to four Tuesday to impeach Sha, as they said he knew he was violating the law by filling up the land and adding wooden landscaping elements, a roof, a wall and bricks to a legally built structure for agricultural use.
Sha’s case will now be dealt with by a special disciplinary committee for civil servants, though he is expected to leave government on May 20 with the rest of the administration of President Ma Ying-jeou.
As the No.2 in the central government in charge of agricultural matters, Sha’s behavior was particularly grave, warranting a heavy punishment like impeachment, the Control Yuan said.
Only last month, Sha was honored by the president for his role in promoting fishing treaties with Japan and the Philippines.
The vice minister responded to the impeachment by saying he had completed legal improvements to the property and had already obtained the relevant license for agricultural usage. Sha said he had explained the changes to the Control Yuan.