The Ill-gotten Party Assets Settlement Committee (CIPAS;[1] Chinese: 不當黨產處理委員會; pinyin: Bùdāng Dǎngchǎn Chǔlǐ Wěiyuánhuì) is an independent government agency of Taiwan established in 2016 by the Act on Promoting Transitional Justice. It is responsible for the investigation and recovery of ill-gotten assets of political parties and their affiliated organizations obtained during the martial law period in Taiwan.[2] All parties established before the lifting of martial law, 15 July 1987, are required to report their party assets to the committee. As the dominant party during the martial law period, the Kuomintang (KMT) and its affiliate organizations are the main targets of this investigation. The council is headquartered in Zhongshan District, Taipei.
不當黨產處理委員會 Bùdāng Dǎngchǎn Chǔlǐ Wěiyuánhuì | |
Agency overview | |
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Formed | 31 August 2016 |
Jurisdiction | Republic of China |
Headquarters | Zhongshan, Taipei |
Agency executives |
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Website | www |
According to Article 7 of the Act on Promoting Transitional Justice, assets seized by the committee would be managed by the Promoting Transitional Justice Fund, and could be used to promote transitional justice, and to fund elder care and social welfare programs.[3]
The Act Governing the Handling of Ill-gotten Properties by Political Parties and Their Affiliate Organizations was passed in July 2016 and Wellington Koo, one of the main authors of the Act, was named as the committee chairman in August.[4][5] He stepped down from the Legislative Yuan to take the appointment.[6] Koo assumed the committee chairmanship despite the Kuomintang citing Article 20 of the Act, which requires nonpartisan committee members, in its objections to Koo's leadership.[7][8] Koo named most of the committee members on 24 August, and the group was officially established on 31 August.[9][10] With the establishment of the committee, the KMT has insisted that it has been illegally and unconstitutionally persecuted and that the investigation is a political witch hunt.[11][12] However, the ruling Democratic Progressive Party (DPP) maintained that the means are necessary for achieving transitional justice and leveling the playing field for all political parties.[12] In September 2017 Koo left the chairman post and was succeeded by Lin Feng-cheng.
In 2016, the KMT challenged the constitutionality of the law establishing the committee and its authority, arguing that the law prevented citizens from organizing political parties. On 28 August 2020, the Constitutional Court ruled that the committee was constitutional.[13][14]
The committee has made several determinations.
Democratic Progressive Party New Power Party
№ | Name | Term of Office | Days | Political Party | Premier | |
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1 | Wellington Koo (顧立雄) | 31 August 2016 | 8 September 2017 | 373 | Democratic Progressive Party | Lin Chuan |
2 | Lin Feng-cheng | (林峯正)8 September 2017 | Incumbent | 2420 | New Power Party | William Lai Su Tseng-chang II |