TAIPEI (Taiwan News) — Control Yuan Secretary-General Lee Chun-yi (李俊俋) apologized Tuesday for using a government vehicle to retrieve his pet dog from a local salon, following public scrutiny and bipartisan criticism.

Lee admitted to using a state-owned vehicle for personal purposes but denied reports claiming he also used it to drive his wife to a restaurant, per NOWNews. He explained that a colleague had picked up the dog on his behalf because he was too busy to do so himself.

Lee said he had reported the incident to Control Yuan Vice President Lee Hung-chun (李鴻鈞) and had requested disciplinary action. He also stressed that since the Legislative Yuan slashed 96% of the Control Yuan’s operating budget, all fuel and insurance costs for official vehicles are personally covered by users.

DPP Legislator Wu Szu-yao (吳思瑤) urged all civil servants to strictly follow government regulations, per Storm Media. She said she believed Lee had learned from the incident and hoped he would not repeat the mistake.

Opposition lawmakers argued that Lee’s actions vindicate the legislature’s decision to cut the Control Yuan’s funding. TPP Chair Huang Kuo-chang (黃國昌) called on Lee to resign over the misuse of public resources, per UDN.

KMT Legislator Chen Ching-hui (陳菁徽) said the Control Yuan must handle the case seriously, per NOWNews. KMT lawmaker Weng Hsiao-ling (翁曉玲) referenced a previous impeachment of a secretary-general and said a similar course of action should be considered to set a precedent, per UDN.

KMT Taipei City Councilor Chang Szu-kang (張斯綱) posted photos online alleging that Lee had used a government vehicle on Wednesday to pick up his dinner before returning home, per ETtoday. Chang joined other KMT lawmakers in calling for a thorough investigation, saying the Control Yuan must protect its institutional integrity.