The office issued another statement denying that Chen Shui-bian had broken the law and criticizing the SIP for ignoring a Supreme Court ruling, which acquitted President Ma Ying-jeou (馬英九) of corruption charges on the grounds that Ma’s use of “special allowance funds” during his tenure as Taipei mayor exceeded the amount he received.
Chen Shui-bian’s office accused the SIP of being influenced by politics and bowing to the media, which it said is under the control of the Ma administration. The office also accused the SIP of violating Chen Shui-bian’s rights.
Saying the SIP had not obtained enough evidence to detain the former president, the statement said prosecutors had used diplomatic missions for political infighting and disregarded Chen Shui-bian’s efforts and the contribution he made to national security and Taiwan’s international space.
“Prosecutors and investigators have reached a point that they are acting arbitrarily and the judiciary autocratically,” the statement said.
The statement also argued that Chen Shui-bian was innocent of all charges and should be acquitted.
On the alleged misuse of Chen’s “state affairs fund,” the statement said the court should refer to Ma’s not guilty verdict and clear the former president’s name.
The statement said Chen claimed more than NT$190 million in “state affairs funds” and spent about NT$203 million during his two terms in office. Chen did not embezzle the money, it said.
It was “ludicrous” for prosecutors to claim that Chen Shui-bian and former National Security Council secretary-general Chiou I-jen (邱義仁) had claimed the money from the Ministry of Foreign Affairs’ “secret funds,” the statement said, adding that Chen had never pocketed any of the money.
Regarding political donations, the statement said Chen had admitted he had falsely declared leftover campaign funds and that some of the money was wired overseas without his knowledge.
Prosecutors, however, could not use his confession as a political tool or assume that political donations were bribes, the statement said.
As all politicians have leftover campaign funds and political donations, the statement requested a complete investigation into all election finances of all politicians — especially presidential candidates — since 1996.
The statement also criticized the Chinese Nationalist Party (KMT) for casting doubt on the legitimacy of other parties’ assets, given its own substantial assets. At issue was not whether Chen Shui-bian would be convicted, the statement said, but rather the urgent and serious issue of election funds, political donations and stolen party assets.
ADDITIONAL REPORTING BY AFP
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