Wu Ching-kuo (吳經國), Taiwan's sole representative to the Inter-national Olympic Committee (IOC), had his travel ban removed yesterday after paying NT$500,000 to the Taipei District Court.
Wu, who returned from an overseas trip on Wednesday, plans to leave the country again today.
Judge Cheng Li-yen (
He appeared in court on Wednesday and requested the judge remove the travel ban.
The judge ordered Wu to pay at least NT$500,000 in partial repayment of a NT$2 million debt before she would consider lifting the travel restrictions.
In order to ensure his departure today, Wu paid the amount to the judge yesterday. He told the her the payment was all he could afford at the moment and that he would negotiate repayment of the remaining sum with his creditor.
According to the court, Wu and three others co-signed a promissory note for NT$13 million.
The creditor, with the promissory note from Wu, last year requested that the court force Wu to pay his portion of the debt, totalling NT$2 million.
At one point, the creditor asked for an injunction on Wu's IOC pay but the amount -- NT$1,000 per month -- was too small to make a difference.
Judge Cheng said she had subpoenaed Wu several times since the creditor asked the court to intervene, but he had failed to respond.
It was under these circumstances that the judge decided to issue the travel ban.
This wasn't the first time Judge Cheng has curtailed Wu's ability to travel.
Several years ago she did the same in connection with a tax repayment case. That case was resolved soon after she issued the ban.
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