The Ministry of National Defense (MND) today (24^th) clarifies on the media coverage “Public Cooperative for Residences of Armed Forces Dependents (PCRAFD) reportedly been defalcated hundreds of millions dollars; prosecutor has launched investigations on alleged harboring by high ranking officers in active service”:

1. PCRAFD is a juridical association formed according to the “Cooperatives Act”, and was entrusted by the MND in 1976 to carry out 91 reconstructions of residences of armed forces dependents based on the old regulations; as such, the MND acts as its Competent Authority for Business Objectives. Ever since the final entrusted reconstruction, the “Muzha Barrack Reconstruction” at Taipei City, was completed and inspected in 2013, there was no longer any business objectives entrusted to the PCRAFD. As a result, the MND no longer had any right to supervise over or monitor any of PCRAFD’s actions since then, including the defalcation incident reported by the media.

2. The appointment and dismissal of PCRAFD’s president follows the rules established by its council, and is carried out accordingly per se. In addition, PCRAFD’s members enjoy the liberty to determine whether to join the cooperative, and the MND by no means is involved in any of such matter. Media coverage on the alleged harboring of PCRAFD’s president by high-ranking officers of the armed forces in relation with extending the president’s tenure, as well as the alleged requirement on all members of the various Commands to join the cooperative, are far from the truth. The MND will take legal actions to defend its public image.