Soong sues newspaper for libel over alleged ownership of property

Independent presidential candidate James Soong (宋楚瑜) yesterday made good on a threat to sue the Liberty Times for libel, one day after the newspaper ran a story saying he owned a luxury apartment in Hawaii.

The story, which appeared on Wednesday, quoted unnamed investigators and Taiwanese residing in Hawaii as saying Soong owned an apartment on Alamona Boulevard, on Oahu Island, near the famous Waikiki Beach.

The report came in the wake of an investigation into money Soong was said to have remitted to overseas accounts, which now stands at an estimated NT$300 million.

Yesterday, Soong's lawyer, Huang Tung-hsiung (黃東熊), filed a libel lawsuit at the Taipei District Court demanding an apology and NT$100 million in damages from the Liberty Times.

Soong told reporters in Taichung yesterday that he will donate any damages he receives from the case for 921 earthquake relief.

Soong also called the Liberty Times report groundless and "intolerable."

Speaking at a rally in Taichung yesterday, Soong reiterated that neither he nor his wife owns real estate in the US. Only their son Soong Chen-yuan (宋鎮遠), who is a US citizen, owns property there, he said.

Meanwhile, investigators at the Taipei District Prosecutors' Office summoned more witnesses for questioning into Soong's financial dealings.

Among them was Wang Hsin-hsin (王心馨), who worked as an assistant to former legislator Chang Chih-min (張志民). Wang is believed to have handled an unknown sum of money remitted from Soong's KMT secretary-general account in 1992, in the run-up to legislative elections. Wang also handled other financial transactions on Chang's behalf in 1996, according to the Chinese-language press.

Prosecutors believe Soong remitted massive funds to a number of legislative candidates during that year's election campaign.

Apart from the prosecutors, the Control Yuan also plans to summon key witnesses for questioning next week. The witnesses are likely to include Ma Chieh-ming (馬傑明), a former deputy secretary-general of the Taiwan Provincial Government; Yang Yun-tai (楊雲黛), a close aide of Soong during his tenure as provincial governor and Soong himself.

Meanwhile, a war of words continued between Soong and deputy Minister of Finance Yen Ching-chang (顏慶章), whom Soong has accused of spreading rumors.

Yen told reporters yesterday that Soong's son and daughter-in-law, as well as her parents, were among the recipients of money Soong's financial advisor, Chen Pi-yun (陳碧雲), remitted abroad through various channels.