Taiwan president's chief bodyguard quits

September 25, 2009 05:37:03 PM

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The head of Taiwan President Ma Ying-jeou's bodyguard has resigned, a presidential spokesman said Friday, after complaints of sexual harassment and other drunk and rude behaviour by his team.

"Chen Tien-sheng tendered his resignation over disciplinary issues among the personnel, and the president accepted it," spokesman Wang Yu-chi told reporters.

The move came after allegations that members of Ma's security were drunk while on duty in the presidential mansion, and that a bodyguard accompanying Ma on a state visit to Panama in June sexually harassed a stewardess.

The presidential office was forced to apologise in August after footage was aired showing Chen cursing a driver while Ma was inspecting areas hit by Typhoon Morakot, which killed at least 619.

Last month's typhoon plunged Ma into his worst political crisis since taking office in May 2008, as the public criticised his government for being late and ineffective in its reaction to the disaster.