Lin Ruey-tu denies collaboration

Independent legislator Lin Ruey-tu (林瑞圖) struck back at critics yesterday, denying that he is conspiring with anyone as he investigates the US property owned by independent presidential candidate James Soong's (宋楚瑜) family. At the same time Lin dropped his latest scoop, claiming that the Soong family's holdings total over US$200 million.

Lin said that by disclosing Soong's financial dealings he hoped to be able to smash "political myths" -- and with the presidential race heating up, he would continue to devote himself to unearthing further scandals.

After revealing on Tuesday that Soong's family has purchased five houses in the US over the past nine years, Lin continued to make political capital out of the money issue yesterday.

Lin produced a copy of a document dated Jan. 7, 1991, that was issued by First American Title Company and bore Soong's signature, claiming the paper apparently proves Soong transferred ownership of a mansion in Mountain View, California to his son, Soong Chen-yuan (宋鎮遠).

"The certificate at least indicates that Soong, through his wife Chen Wan-shui (陳萬水) [also identified as Viola Soong] either transferred or gave up the ownership [of the house]," Lin said.

Chen is listed as the person who actually performed the transfer.

Moreover, Lin said, based on information released by Home Advisor, which he identified is a professional real estate evaluation institute in the US, the total value of the five houses held by the younger Soong [also identified as Allen Soong] is over US$200 million.

"As to how the younger Soong was able to buy four houses within ten years, I think Soong has to explain this, for example explaining the family's annual income and how it came to be that Soong Chen-yuan handled these assets, in a bid to clarify the allegations against his family."

"I am not an FBI agent. But Soong has an obligation to offer more details to the public about the resources used by the younger Soong to purchase real estate [proof of ownership which is] limited by US privacy regulations," Lin said.

The time during which the younger Soong bought some of the houses coincides with the timeframe between 1990 and 1999 when Soong's sister-in-law, Chen Pi-yuan (陳碧雲) remitted money to the US for the stated purpose of "taking care of family affairs."

Responding to the accusations that he was actually secretly working with Soong's camp to orchestrate the allegations over property purchases to either make the information public early or win sympathy for the former Taiwan provincial governor, Lin said he has never met Soong in private and that all the material he has uncovered were the result of his own hard work.

"My information comes from my own investigation and not from Soong's camp or from the KMT," Lin said.

Soong's camp, however, reiterated that Soong himself has never bought any property in the US.

Meanwhile, the KMT's legislative caucus yesterday blasted Soong for mixing private and public funds and urged Soong to drop out of the presidential race.

"Following the mushrooming scandal that began with accounts opened at the Chung Hsing Finance Bills Corp, Soong has contradicted his theories about the sources of money and the expenditures of the funds. Soong should never scorn the wisdom of voters," said KMT caucus leader Tseng Yung-chuan (曾永 權)