The Taiwan High Court Prosecutors' Office yesterday said that President Chen Shui-bian (
Chang Wen-cheng (張文政), spokesman for the Taiwan High Court Prosecutors' Office, confirmed yesterday that the president was interrogated on Aug. 7 at the Presidential Office and Wu was questioned on Aug. 20 at the official Yushan Residence (玉山官邸) .
"[Chen and Wu] were not accompanied by their lawyers, although we clearly told them they had the right to do so," Chang said at a press conference yesterday morning.
Prosecutors also informed the couple that the case under investigation "will very likely become one in which suspects could be charged with forgery or graft," and asked the two if they would like to have their lawyers with them. However, both parties replied that they saw "no need" to call their lawyers, he said.
Chang stressed that both the president and the first lady remain "legal parties" in the case and have not been enlisted as defendants, and that the prosecutors were obligated, in compliance with Article 95 of the Code of Criminal Procedures (刑事訴訟法), to tell any individual being questioned that he or she has the right to call a lawyer if there is a chance that the person might become a defendant in the case.
Chang said he could not confirm whether prosecutors would summon the president and the first lady again in the near future because of a gag order.
Both Chen and Wu clearly answered every question posed by the prosecutors, Chang said, adding that the president also provided some evidence in his defense.
Prosecutors will review and investigate the evidence provided by the president, Chang said.
The Presidential Office also confirmed that the president and his wife were questioned by prosecutors but dismissed the allegation that they refused to cooperate.
"We have submitted to prosecutors all the original receipts of the president's special allowance fund dating back to May 2000," Presidential Office spokesman David Lee (李南陽) said.
Lee said the president had made it clear on July 31 that he would be happy to personally explain his special allowance fund to prosecutors and investigators in a bid to help establish the truth.
When asked why they did not disclose the couple's meetings with prosecutors earlier, Lee said they were not in a position to offer details of a legal case and that the media should ask prosecutors for comment on the matter.
The Presidential Office issued a statement at 12:13am yesterday, telling the media that Chen did explain the matter to prosecutors at the Presidential Office on Aug. 7.
"The president stressed that he never pocketed the funds and that he respects the judicial investigation and will offer his full cooperation," the statement said.
The statement was made in response to a report published in Tuesday's edition of the Chinese-language China Times claiming that the investigation into the allowance fund hit a snag as the Presidential Office refused to provide receipts and documents.
CALL FOR SUPPORT: President William Lai called on lawmakers across party lines to ensure the livelihood of Taiwanese and that national security is protected President William Lai (賴清德) yesterday called for bipartisan support for Taiwan’s investment in self-defense capabilities at the christening and launch of two coast guard vessels at CSBC Corp, Taiwan’s (台灣國際造船) shipyard in Kaohsiung. The Taipei (台北) is the fourth and final ship of the Chiayi-class offshore patrol vessels, and the Siraya (西拉雅) is the Coast Guard Administration’s (CGA) first-ever ocean patrol vessel, the government said. The Taipei is the fourth and final ship of the Chiayi-class offshore patrol vessels with a displacement of about 4,000 tonnes, Lai said. This ship class was ordered as a result of former president Tsai Ing-wen’s (蔡英文) 2018
‘SECRETS’: While saying China would not attack during his presidency, Donald Trump declined to say how Washington would respond if Beijing were to take military action US President Donald Trump said that China would not take military action against Taiwan while he is president, as the Chinese leaders “know the consequences.” Trump made the statement during an interview on CBS’ 60 Minutes program that aired on Sunday, a few days after his meeting with Chinese President Xi Jinping (習近平) in South Korea. “He [Xi] has openly said, and his people have openly said at meetings, ‘we would never do anything while President Trump is president,’ because they know the consequences,” Trump said in the interview. However, he repeatedly declined to say exactly how Washington would respond in
WARFARE: All sectors of society should recognize, unite, and collectively resist and condemn Beijing’s cross-border suppression, MAC Minister Chiu Chui-cheng said The number of Taiwanese detained because of legal affairs by Chinese authorities has tripled this year, as Beijing intensified its intimidation and division of Taiwanese by combining lawfare and cognitive warfare, the Mainland Affairs Council (MAC) said yesterday. MAC Minister Chiu Chui-cheng (邱垂正) made the statement in response to questions by Democratic Progressive Party (DPP) Legislator Puma Shen (沈柏洋) about the government’s response to counter Chinese public opinion warfare, lawfare and psychological warfare. Shen said he is also being investigated by China for promoting “Taiwanese independence.” He was referring to a report published on Tuesday last week by China’s state-run Xinhua news agency,
‘NOT SUBORDINATE’: Only Taiwanese can decide the nation’s future, and people preserving their democratic way of life is not a provocation, President William Lai said Taiwan does not want China’s “one country, two systems,” and must uphold its freedom and democracy as well as resolve to defend itself, President William Lai (賴清德) said yesterday, rejecting Beijing’s latest bid to bring the country under Chinese control. The president made the remarks while attending a commissioning ceremony for Taiwan’s first battalion of M1A2T Abrams tanks in Hsinchu County’s Hukou Township (湖口). The tanks are made by General Dynamics, a major US defense contractor. China this week said it “absolutely will not” rule out using force over Taiwan, striking a much tougher tone than a series of articles in state media
RSS