Former Chinatrust Financial Holding Co (中信金控) vice chairman Jeffrey Koo Jr (辜仲諒) was released on NT$100 million (US$3 million) bail late on Monday night.
Koo was escorted to the offices of the Supreme Prosecutors Office’s Special Investigation Panel (SIP) on Monday morning after making a surprise return from Japan, where he had been in hiding since evading an arrest warrant that was issued in 2006 after he failed to answer a subpoena to appear in court over allegations of irregularities involving Chinatrust’s bid for rival Mega Financial Holding Co (兆豐金控).
The questioning began at around 11am and lasted for 12 hours.
PHOTO: YAO KAI-SHIOU, TAIPEI TIMES
Koo was also questioned about allegations that he was involved in alleged money-laundering by former president Chen Shui-bian (陳水扁).
Prosecutors decided not to restrict Koo’s movements or bar him from leaving the country.
“Given that he is not likely to flee nor collude with the other suspects, Mr Koo was released on bail,” SIP spokesman Chen Yun-nan (陳雲南) said.
After leaving the SIP offices at around midnight, Koo did not say anything about the investigations, but issued an apology.
“I would like to apologize to the public and to the shareholders of Chinatrust Financial Holding Co for being away over the past two years,” Koo said.
“I would like to help prosecutors conclude their investigation in order to minimize the impact on Chinatrust Financial Holding Co,” he said.
Confirming that SIP Prosecutor Yueh Fang-ju (越方如) flew to Japan last week, Chen would not confirm whether Yueh was sent to persuade Koo to return to Taiwan.
Chen also denied allegations that Koo had returned to Taiwan after being promised that he would not be detained.
“[Yueh] was in Japan last week, but I cannot tell you anything about the purpose of her trip,” Chen said. “I can assure you that we did not trade any promises in return for Koo’s return.”
After learning that his son had returned, Koo’s father, Chinatrust Financial Holding Co president Jeffrey Koo (辜濂松), returned to Taiwan yesterday morning from Lima, Peru, where he had been attending the APEC summit.
Asked for comment about his son, he only said: “Good for him.”
Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Co (TSMC, 台積電), the world’s largest foundry service provider, yesterday said that global semiconductor revenue is projected to hit US$1.5 trillion in 2030, after the figure exceeds US$1 trillion this year, as artificial intelligence (AI) demand boosts consumption of token and compute power. “We are still at the beginning of the AI revolution, but we already see a significant impact across the whole semiconductor ecosystem,” TSMC deputy cochief operating officer Kevin Zhang (張曉強) said at the company’s annual technology symposium in Hsinchu City. “It is fair to say that in the past decade, smartphones and other mobile devices were
US-CHINA SUMMIT: MOFA welcomed US reassurance of no change in its Taiwan policy; Trump said he did not comment when Xi talked of opposing independence US President Donald Trump yesterday said he has not made a decision on whether to move forward with a major arms package for Taiwan after hearing concerns about it from Chinese President Xi Jinping (習近平). Trump’s comments on Taiwan came as he flew back to Washington after wrapping up critical talks in which both leaders said important progress was made in stabilizing US-China relations even as deep differences persist between the world’s two biggest powers on Iran and Taiwan. “I will make a determination,” Trump said, adding: “I’ll be making decisions. But, you know, I think the last thing we need right
TAIWAN ISSUE: US treasury secretary Scott Bessent said on the first day of meetings that ‘it wouldn’t be a US-China summit without the Taiwan issue coming up’ There were no surprises on the first day of the summit between US President Donald Trump and Chinese President Xi Jinping (習近平), the Mainland Affairs Council (MAC) said yesterday, as the government reiterated that cross-strait stability is crucial to the Asia-Pacific region, as well as the world. As the two presidents met for a highly anticipated summit yesterday, Chinese state media reported that Xi warned Trump that missteps regarding Taiwan could push their two countries into “conflict.” Trump arrived in China with accolades for his host, calling Xi a “great leader” and “friend,” and extending an invitation to visit the White House
SECURITY: Taipei presses the US for arms supplies, saying the arms sales are not only a reflection of the US security commitment to Taiwan but also serve as a mutual deterrent against regional threats Taiwan is committed to preserving the cross-strait “status quo” and contributing to regional peace and stability, the Presidential Office said yesterday. “It is an undeniable fact that the Republic of China is a sovereign and independent democratic nation,” Presidential Office spokeswoman Karen Kuo (郭雅慧) reiterated, adding that Beijing has no right to claim sovereignty over Taiwan. The statements came after US President Donald Trump warned against Taiwanese independence. Trump wrapped up a state visit to Beijing on Friday, during which Chinese President Xi Jinping (習近平) had pressed him not to support Taiwan. Taiwan depends heavily on US security backing to deter China from carrying
RSS