President Chen Shui-bian's (陳水扁) son-in-law Chao Chien-ming (趙建銘) was detained early yesterday morning by the Taipei District Court after hours of questioning over his involvement in an alleged insider trading scandal.
Investigators spent hours questioning Chao Chien-min, his father Chao Yu-chu (趙玉柱), his mother Chien Shui-mien (簡水綿), Chao's younger brother Chao Chien-hsun (趙建勳) and Chao Chien-hsun's wife Cheng Ya-ling (程雅玲) on Wednesday for their alleged involvement in insider trading of Taiwan Development Corp (TDC) shares.
Early yesterday, a court released Chao's relatives but approved a request from prosecutors to keep Chao under detention.
Taipei District Prosecutors' Office spokesman Lin Pang-liang (林邦樑) said yesterday that although Chao did not admit to insider trading, he was still detained by prosecutors to prevent him from destroying or falsifying evidence or conferring with other defendants.
"There is a strong suspicion of his involvement in insider trading," said Lin.
TDC chairman, Su Teh-jien (蘇德建), was also detained late on Wednesday night after being questioned.
Stories did not tally
Judge Liu Shou-sung (
Outside the detention facility, a small group of right-wingers chanted slogans demanding that the president assume responsibility for the alleged scandal and resign.
Although the Chaos claim that the decision to take part in the share deal was made solely by Chao Yu-chu -- Chao Chien-ming's father, the evidence clearly points to Chao Chien-ming's participation throughout the entire process, investigators said.
The scandal dates back to last summer when Su, Chang Hwa Commercial Bank chairman Chang Po-shin (張伯欣), bank president Chen Chen-chao (陳辰昭) and another bank official dined with Chao Chien-ming, Waterland Securities Co board director Tsai Chin-wen (蔡清文) and businessman Yu Shih-yi (游世一) at a Japanese restaurant in Taipei on two separate occasions.
Officials suspect that the seven discussed the trading of TDC shares on both occasions because Tsai and Yu reportedly bought large numbers of TDC shares released by the bank.
Tsai and Yu have also been detained by the Taipei District Court.
Chao Chien-ming has been separated from the other detainees to prevent any coordination of their confessions.
Chao Chien-ming yesterday has also been temporarily relieved of his professional duties at National Taiwan University Hospital, according to a statement released by the hospital.
No pressure
During a Judiciary Committee question and answer session at the Legislative Yuan yesterday, Minister of Justice Morley Shih (
Shih denied media reports that he had received phone calls from "higher officials" inquiring about the progress of the investigation.
"The investigation process is free from all political pressure and I have not received phone calls from anybody inquiring about the cases progress," Shih said.
Legislators at the session also questioned whether the presidential compound where Chen lives would be searched if prosecutors found that evidence relating to Chao's case may be in the compound.
Shih said he was not familiar with the individual cases that the ministry handles, but if prosecutors felt the need to search the presidential compound, there were certain processes to follow when applying for a search warrant for special places.
He did not elaborate, but said that a search can only be granted if there was evidence indicating that the compound needed to be searched.
Meanwhile, one of the president's aides said that yesterday was one of the president's saddest days for a long time.
"The president has a heavy heart," said David Lee (李南陽), director-general of the Public Affairs Department for the Presidential Office. "However, he still has a job to do."
Lee said the President's stance on the matter was clear and that was he supports the investigation effort of the prosecutors and hopes the truth of the matter will be learned in a speedy manner.
President Chen, however, seemed absent-minded when receiving the winners of the Shennong Award at the Presidential Office yesterday morning. He paused for a few seconds during his speech and forced a stiff smile when a farmer invited him to her lichee farm to sample her lichees.
Lee said the president has no plans to change his schedule today. He is scheduled to receive Deputy US Trade Representative Karan Bhatia at the Presidential Office in the morning, with two other engagements scheduled for the afternoon.
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