Tu eyeing business links with state-run China Shipbuilding

Tu Cheng Chun-chu (涂鄭春菊), a legal agent for a German shipbuilder who has been identified as a witness in the murder case of ROC Navy Captain Yin Ching-feng (尹清楓) and associated naval ship procurement scandals, has contacted state-run China Shipbuilding Corp for possible business ties.

Investigators from a task force looking into the murder and scandals -- who on Thursday met with Tu to record her testimony -- said that possible cooperation projects between German and Taiwan shipbuilders was one of Tu's reasons to return to Taiwan this time.

According to the investigators, the German shipbuilder has maintained a business relationship with the state-run entity since the late 1980s and is interested in the planned privatization of the firm.

Tu, better known as "Mrs Tu" (涂太太), arrived from Germany on Wednesday, marking the first time she has visited since Yin was discovered murdered in 1993. While she has claimed the purpose of her trip is to visit her sick mother, Tu also agreed to assist the task force in its investigation.

During the Thursday meeting, investigators said, Tu denied she was involved in any way in Yin's murder and claimed she was not an arms dealer, as has been widely reported.

Task force representatives said they may call Tu for questioning again today or tomorrow, before her planned departure from Taiwan on Tuesday. Tu said she needed to return to Germany promptly to see her husband Tu Hsueh-ming (涂學明), because he was to undergo surgery.

Hsieh Tsung-min (謝聰敏), a national policy adviser to President Chen Shui-bian (陳水扁), said that Tu will return to Taiwan again in a couple of weeks.According to Hsieh, Tu confessed to him that she had provided Chen with materials related to the naval ship procurement scandals while Chen was a legislator.

But Hsieh denied that Tu's return this time had anything to do with the Presidential Office.

At the time of Yin's murder, Chen was a convener of the legislature's National Defense Committee. Chen called dozens of meetings to question the military over Yin's case and exposed a number of alleged corruption scandals involving the military's arms procurement programs.

Tu came to Taiwan on behalf of the German shipbuilding company on Nov. 22, 1993 to negotiate deals with the navy for the supply of parts and components for four German-made minesweepers.

Tu left Taiwan on Dec. 10, 1993, immediately after Yin was found murdered.

Yin's body was found floating in Suao harbor on Dec. 9, 1993 -- several days after he had been collecting evidence about alleged irregularities concerning the navy's procurement of the four minesweepers and six French-made Lafayette frigates.

Although it is widely believed that she was not directly connected to Yin's murder, Tu's return is expected to help police paint a clearer picture of the events surrounding Yin's murder as well as the related kickbacks scandal.