Prosecutors yesterday added charges to those already laid against former president Chen Shui-bian (陳水扁) and his wife, Wu Shu-jen (吳淑珍), who face charges of corruption, forgery and embezzlement.
With the Special Investigation Panel (SIP) concluding the second part of its investigation, prosecutors charged Chen and his wife with taking bribes, profiteering and violating the Political Donation Act (政治獻金法), SIP spokesperson Chen Yun-nan (陳雲南) said.
Prosecutors did not recommend specific sentences.
The indictment charged Chen Shui-bian and his wife with taking NT$10 million (US$300,000) in bribes from former Taipei Financial Center Corp chairwoman Diana Chen (陳敏薰).
Prosecutors allege that Diana Chen gave the former first lady NT$10 million in exchange for her seat as president of Grand Cathay Securities Corp (大華證券).
While both Wu and Diana Chen admitted to the cash transaction, both denied it was bribery and said the money was a form of “political donation.”
The indictment also accused the former president and his wife of inappropriately taking NT$300 million in political donations from former Chinatrust Financial Holding Co vice chairman Jeffrey Koo Jr (辜仲諒).
Prosecutors allege the former president used election campaign funds and secret foreign relations as excuses to ask Koo for donations, which the former president and his wife then pocketed.
Koo previously testified in court that the money he gave to the former president and his wife were “reluctant contributions.”
As Koo donated the money under pressure, he was “a victim” and prosecutors decided not to indict him, Chen Yun-nan said.
Asked whether prosecutors had chosen to indict the former first couple two days before Chen Shui-bian’s detention hearing to ensure the former president remains in jail, Chen Yun-nan said: “This is unrelated to the case.”
Presiding Judge Tsai Shou-hsun (蔡守訓) has scheduled a hearing tomorrow to decide if Chen Shui-bian should remain incarcerated. Prosecutors argue it is necessary for the former president to remain in jail to prevent him from colluding with witnesses or absconding.
“The reasons for detention have not changed,” Chen Yun-nan said.
On Dec. 12, the SIP completed its first round of investigations and charged Chen Shui-bian with pocketing about NT$1.5 billion, including a bribe of US$9 million in a land deal and money from his presidential “state affairs fund.” He was also charged with money laundering, corruption and forgery.
In response to the new charges, Chen Shui-bian’s office secretary Chiang Chih-ming (江志銘) said the judiciary continued to persecute the former president without providing solid evidence, adding that politics were getting mixed with the investigation.
ADDITIONAL REPORTING BY RICH CHANG
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