TAIPEI (Taiwan News) – As a navy ship building scandal is swirling around the Ministry of National Defense (MND) and 23 high-ranking military officers are being censured for dereliction of their duties, Taiwan’s President Tsai Ing-wen (蔡英文) said the government will remain determined to push forward with its domestic naval vessel program.

The scandal, also known as the Ching Fu Case, surfaced in August after reports that a shipbuilding project bid winner, Ching Fu Shipbuilding Co. (慶富造船), was investigated for allegedly using bogus documents to secure a syndicated loan of NT$20.5 billion since 2014, and continuously trying to cover up its financial problems. The financially troubled company is said to have pressured the Presidential Office in October to provide bailout or threatened to file for bankruptcy.

The authorities are still investigating the case and are expanding the scope of those involved, including Marine Bureau of Kaohsiung City Government.

In a Facebook post, Tsai commented on the scandal following the MND’s announcement of a list of censured military officers on Wednesday. Tsai said she, also as the commander-in-chief of land, air and navy forces in the country, feels obligated to elaborate on her stance on the Ching Fu Case.

Tsai said that the government will continue to track down the truth and bring those responsible to justice, regardless his or her ranking. Apart from punishments, the government will ask the military department to overhaul its bidding process to avoid mistakes, she said.

The government’s push for defense autonomy will not be discouraged by the scandal and will overcome difficulties to move forward, Tsai added.

According to the MND’s statement issued on Wednesday, a total of 23 military officers are being held accountable for the flaws, including former navy commander Chen Yung-kang (陳永康), chief of the general staff Lee Hsi-ming (李喜明), and Navy Commander Admiral Huang Shu-kuang (黃曙光).