TAIPEI (Taiwan News) — The government has dismissed allegations that it interfered with a lucrative tender for the Taiwan Lottery favoring a U.S. company at the request of the American Institute in Taiwan (AIT), the de facto U.S. embassy.

A UDN report on Monday (Oct. 3) claimed that Hsiao Chia-chi (蕭家旗), director-general of the National Treasury Administration (NTA), helped relay information about a U.S. company to CTBC Bank. The bank runs the country’s public lottery business and the company is interested in a CTBC tender for technical services.

CTBC has been awarded the right to operate the fifth session of the lottery business by the Ministry of Finance (MOF), which will last between 2024 and 2033. According to UDN, the bank has raked in an average annual revenue of NT$125.3 billion (US$3.93 billion) for the past four sessions.

Citing an unspecified former MOF official, the UDN report claimed the official said it was “inappropriate” for the NTA head to pass on the information, because this may burden the lottery issuance institution.

The NTA rejected any meddling accusations, saying the administration did not pull strings for the firm in question and that the tender would be conducted publicly. AIT also defended the act as “regularized commercial engagement” to promote the interest of American businesses, per CNA.