Taipei Mayor Chiang Wan-an is facing a fresh conflict-of-interest problem over his son's city-funded overseas exchange spot, and the national anti-corruption agency has undercut his own officials' defense.

• Chiang's son won one of the Taipei education department's funded international exchange places, raising questions about whether the mayor broke the conflict-of-interest law.
• City legal and ethics officials told the council he was in the clear because he never signed off on or reviewed the application.
• The Ministry of Justice's anti-corruption agency contradicted that: relatives of officials may apply for open, fair subsidies, but only if they voluntarily state the relationship in the application itself.
• Whether the official personally took part in approving the grant has nothing to do with that disclosure duty, the agency said.
• That leaves one question: did Chiang, who signed his son's application, actually declare the relationship?

Outlook: Pressure will build on Chiang to produce the application paperwork and show whether the relationship was disclosed.