A treasurer to former president Chen Shui-bian (陳水扁) yesterday pleaded guilty to graft and money-laundering charges, while prosecutors named another high-profile businessperson as a defendant in a long-running corruption case implicating the former head of state.
Chen Chen-hui (陳鎮慧), who served as the former president's bookkeeper during his two terms in office from 2000 to last year, had already admitted committing forgery and perjury, but had denied involvement in the more serious offenses before a change of heart yesterday.
“I am guilty,” Chen Chen-hui told the Taipei District Court, but stressed that she was following the instruction of her superiors.
Her lawyer told reporters she changed her mind about her plea in hopes of reaching a plea bargain after two former presidential aides, also indicted in the case, attempted to pin the blame on her.
Ten people, including the former president's wife, son and daughter-in-law, have admitted their roles in the case.
Former first lady Wu Shu-jen (吳淑珍) last week admitted to money laundering and forgery, but denied embezzlement charges. Wu admitted wiring US$2.2 million abroad, but said the money was a political donation, not a bribe. She also said a businessman involved in a land deal wired US$5.88 million to her brother's bank accounts abroad.
But Wu said her husband had no knowledge of the wired funds.
Chen Shui-bian, who left office in May, has been detained on charges of embezzlement, taking bribes, money laundering, influence peddling and extortion.
Prosecutors yesterday named Diana Chen (陳敏薰), the former chairwoman of Taipei Financial Center Corp, as a defendant in the case. They alleged Diana Chen gave the former first couple NT$10 million, paving the way for her assumption of the chairwomanship of Taipei Financial Center.
Prosecutors said they would summon Diana Chen in the coming days for questioning.
ADDITIONAL REPORTING BY STAFF WRITER
NO HUMAN ERROR: After the incident, the Coast Guard Administration said it would obtain uncrewed aerial vehicles and vessels to boost its detection capacity Authorities would improve border control to prevent unlawful entry into Taiwan’s waters and safeguard national security, the Mainland Affairs Council (MAC) said yesterday after a Chinese man reached the nation’s coast on an inflatable boat, saying he “defected to freedom.” The man was found on a rubber boat when he was about to set foot on Taiwan at the estuary of Houkeng River (後坑溪) near Taiping Borough (太平) in New Taipei City’s Linkou District (林口), authorities said. The Coast Guard Administration’s (CGA) northern branch said it received a report at 6:30am yesterday morning from the New Taipei City Fire Department about a
IN BEIJING’S FAVOR: A China Coast Guard spokesperson said that the Chinese maritime police would continue to carry out law enforcement activities in waters it claims The Philippines withdrew its coast guard vessel from a South China Sea shoal that has recently been at the center of tensions with Beijing. BRP Teresa Magbanua “was compelled to return to port” from Sabina Shoal (Xianbin Shoal, 仙濱暗沙) due to bad weather, depleted supplies and the need to evacuate personnel requiring medical care, the Philippine Coast Guard (PCG) spokesman Jay Tarriela said yesterday in a post on X. The Philippine vessel “will be in tiptop shape to resume her mission” after it has been resupplied and repaired, Philippine Executive Secretary Lucas Bersamin, who heads the nation’s maritime council, said
REGIONAL STABILITY: Taipei thanked the Biden administration for authorizing its 16th sale of military goods and services to uphold Taiwan’s defense and safety The US Department of State has approved the sale of US$228 million of military goods and services to Taiwan, the US Department of Defense said on Monday. The state department “made a determination approving a possible Foreign Military Sale” to the Taipei Economic and Cultural Representative Office in the US for “return, repair and reshipment of spare parts and related equipment,” the defense department’s Defense Security Cooperation Agency said in a news release. Taiwan had requested the purchase of items and services which include the “return, repair and reshipment of classified and unclassified spare parts for aircraft and related equipment; US Government
More than 500 people on Saturday marched in New York in support of Taiwan’s entry to the UN, significantly more people than previous years. The march, coinciding with the ongoing 79th session of the UN General Assembly, comes close on the heels of growing international discourse regarding the meaning of UN Resolution 2758. Resolution 2758, adopted by the UN General Assembly in 1971, recognizes the People’s Republic of China (PRC) as the “only lawful representative of China.” It resulted in the Republic of China (ROC) losing its seat at the UN to the PRC. Taiwan has since been excluded from