The Ministry of Foreign Affairs yesterday revoked the issuing of authentication of a certificate of appointment to fugitive murder suspect Andrew Wang (汪傳浦) just one day after officials defended the issuing as legally justifiable.
"The latest intelligence information told us that he might make use of [the document] to help him transfer his property in Switzerland. This may affect our country's major interest," said Minister of Foreign Affairs Eugene Chien (簡又新) yesterday afternoon.
Investigators in Switzerland have frozen Wang's bank accounts, worth around US$140 million, since July 2001.
Investigators suspect the money comes from a secret commission given to Wang in 1991 after he played an instrumental role in securing a deal for a French company, Thomson CSF, now called Thales, to build six missile frigates for Taiwan.
But Chien refused to clarify what he meant by "intelligence information."
Nor did he explain why the authentication of a certificate of appointment, by which Wang appointed attorney Chang Nai-lian (
Citing regulations governing the handling of certification by overseas consular officials, Chien said the revocation resulted from the belief that the document was not in Taiwan's national interest.
But just a day earlier, officials denied allegations that representative offices in Geneva and London acted unlawfully by issuing the documents, in July 2001 and just last month respectively.
They said no law prohibits officials from issuing authentication and certification documents to fugitives.
Chang yesterday lashed out at the ministry's move to revoke the paper, saying: "The foreign ministry simply contradicted itself." Wang, through his lawyer, faxed a two-page statement to news agencies yesterday refuting all the attacks against him.
With his signature attached, the statement said Wang applied for the document in response to a request from the Taipei District Court demanding him to hand in the paper by Feb. 26.
Wang denied any intention to utilize the document to unfreeze his Swiss bank accounts. He said the paper was to appoint Chang to act on his behalf when the court in Taiwan handles a libel lawsuit he filed against national policy advisor Hsieh Tsung-min (謝聰敏) and a China Times reporter.
Wang, the former agent for Thomson-CSF in Taiwan, is suspected of being deeply involved in the corruption-tainted sale and is wanted in connection with the murder of navy Captain Yin Ching-feng (尹清楓) in 1993. Yin had opposed the French contract and had claimed he was going to blow the whistle on Wang's alleged wrongdoing.
An arrest warrant for Wang was issued in September 2000.
Wang in the statement claimed "evil backstage manipulators" have misled prosecutors and investigators in their handling of Yin's murder case.
The minister, however, admitted that official documents pertinent to internal discussions that eventually gave a green light to the issuing of the document by the Geneva office in 2001 have gone missing.
He said a newly founded task force would look into the matter before producing a report in two weeks.
Meanwhile, Chien denied allegations that he has maintained close ties to Wang.
"Wang is just an ordinary voter. I have no personal ties nor dealings with him," he said.
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