Former president Chen Shui-bian (陳水扁) was yesterday transferred to the Taipei County Hospital in Banciao (板橋) for security reasons after he refused to eat for a sixth day after being detained last Wednesday.
Chiayi County Commissioner Chen Ming-wen (陳明文), who is also on hunger strike over his detention on corruption allegations, was taken to Chiayi Veterans Hospital at 7:30pm last night for reasons prosecutors were unwilling to reveal. It was reported that Chen Ming-wen refused intravenous injection of nutrition.
Hospital authorities said that the former president could be discharged within two or three days if no further complications develop.
The former president, who is suspected of money laundering, receiving bribes, forgery and embezzling NT$15 million (US$450,000) during his two terms in office, is being held incommunicado without charge. He has accused the Chinese Nationalist Party (KMT) administration of “political persecution” and of waging a “political vendetta” against him to curry favor with China.
Chen Shui-bian was taken to Far Eastern Memorial Hospital in Banciao on Sunday after complaining about discomfort in his chest and soreness. His electrocardiogram was abnormal. After receiving an intravenous injection and having a good night’s rest, doctors said the former president remained in stable condition yesterday.
But the former president was then transferred to the Taipei County Hospital in Banciao at around 8:20am yesterday morning because of a need for further observation and security.
When Chen Shui-bian arrived at the hospital, he showed signs of dehydration, including wrinkly skin, difficulty breathing, dryness in the mouth and throat, and soreness in his entire body, said Edward Tsai (蔡光超), emergency room director of the Far Eastern Memorial Hospital.
The hospital had intravenously infused the former president with saline and glucose to stabilize his condition.
Tsai said Chen Shui-bian’s test results yesterday came out better than the previous day. After having intravenous injections, Tsai said Chen Shui-bian’s blood pressure, heartbeat and blood sugar returned to normal. To avoid disturbing other patients and for the purposes of security, Tsai said it was better to move Chen Shui-bian to the Taipei County Hospital because it was easier to deploy security personnel there.
Yang Chang-bin (楊長彬), county hospital deputy director, said that his hospital has long cooperated with the Taipei Detention Center and there were three rooms suitable for the treatment of suspects.
The hospital has formed a team of six doctors to look after Chen Shui-bian and they would try to make the former president eat, Yang said. They had no plan to force-feed him at the time, he said.
Chen Shui-bian’s lawyer Cheng Wen-long (鄭文龍) said that Chen Shui-bian was determined to continue the fast because he was upset about the rumor spread by prosecutors that the former president admitted to them that his wife, Wu Shu-jen (吳淑珍), had accepted NT$500 million (US$15 million) in bribes in a land acquisition deal.
While doctors have warned of the risk of kidney failure should Chen Shui-bian continue to refuse food, Tsai said his patient appeared determined to continue.
Cheng said that despite the former president’s reluctance, he would file an appeal against the detention because Chen Shui-bian would not collude with other defendants in the case.
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