“Why shouldn’t we try to get back the MOE’s ill-gotten assets?” a Taiwan University pharmacology school alumni asked.

They put that question in a statement to the press yesterday, demanding that the education ministry return the office building it now uses to the rightful owner.

“If the education ministry can, we can and should,” said Sung Hsun-lien, who spoke for the Taiwan University pharmacology school alumni club.

Chuang Kuo-yung, MOE chief of staff, filed a lawsuit against the China Youth Corps on Tuesday. He asked the Taipei district court to order the China Youth Corps to let the education ministry share the ownership of the youth activity center in Chientan or repay NT$400 million for the NT$168 million loan it had advanced for construction of all the structures.

The office building in question stands on the Taiwan University medical school campus on Zhongshan South Road in the heart of Taipei.

Occupying an area of 7,776 square meters, the building was erected for the university’s pharmacology school in 1971. But the school never has a chance to use it, for it was loaned to the education ministry on completion.

Taiwan University called a special faculty meeting on June 16 to decide to request the education ministry to return the building to its pharmacology school, Sung said.

Should the education decide against it, the university should be given NT$2 billion to erect a new pharmacology school building.

“But we’ve got nowhere,” Sung lamented.

The education ministry merely said it is “trying to settle the problem.”

Sung said the education ministry loaned the building without a rental fee. According to the lease contract, he added, it had to be returned nine years ago. As the building was not returned in 1998, the Control Yuan censured the education ministry. Despite the censure, the education ministry has refused to return the building to the university.

“Worse,” Sung charged, “the education ministry even demanded that the university transfer ownership of the building to it.”

The university turned it down, of course.

Asked why the alumni club is spearheading the drive to get back the building, Sung said the university, which is under control of the education ministry, is in “an awkward position to take strong action against the higher-ups.”

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