Court issues travel ban against IOC representative

A Taipei District Court Judge ordered a travel ban yesterday against Wu Ching-kuo (吳經國), the only International Olympic Committee (IOC) representative in Taipei, for failing to repay a debt totalling NT$2 million.

Judge Cheng Li-yen (鄭麗燕), with the enforcement division of the district court, announced the order when Wu again failed to answer a court summons yesterday morning. Judge Cheng said she had subpoenaed Wu several times since the creditor requested that the court intervene in the repayment of the debt last year.

When Wu failed to respond to yesterday's subpoena, the judge ordered a ban prohibiting Wu from traveling overseas.

However, Wu left for Switzerland on July 24, shortly after returning from an IOC meeting in Moscow.

Informed of the ban by his aides, Wu made a long-distance call to Judge Cheng yesterday to state the reasons for his absence.

Wu told the judge it was merely a misunderstanding and that he had not receive a notice from the court. He said he was not the only borrower of the NT$2 million in question but was a guarantor of the loan.

He assured the judge he would explain everything as soon as he returned to Taiwan on July 31.

According to a court official, Wu was a guarantor of the NT$2 million loan made in 1996.

At one point, the creditor asked for an injunction on Wu's IOC pay but it turned out the amount -- NT$1,000 per month -- was too small to make a difference.

Tseng Yung-fu (曾永福) of the IOC said yesterday Wu had gone to Switzerland to meet with newly-elected IOC President Jacques Rogge. Tseng said Wu's involvement in the loan dispute began six years ago while he was a chairman of a private business.

He said the loan was for a business in which Wu was only a chairman in name and thus was not involved in the company's day to day activities.

Judge Cheng issued a travel ban against Wu several years ago in connection with a tax repayment case. The case was resolved soon after the ban was ordered.

Judge Cheng, who is known for her toughness, hit headlines last week when she ordered an hour-long detention of Chairwoman of the Asiaworld Internationale Group Emilia Roxas (鄭綿綿) for delaying repayments to two banks.