Taipei prosecutors had four sus-pects of the Zanadau Development Corp scandal testify in an investigative hearing yesterday.
The four were Zanadau majority shareholder Su Hui-chen (蘇惠珍), China Development Financial Holding Corp chairman Liu Tai-ying (劉泰英), Lawson Corp president Lee Ming-che (李明哲) and former Taiwan Fertilizer Corp chairman Hsieh Sheng-fu (謝生富).
Lee and Hsieh have been detained without being charged since Oct. 17 last year. Liu was detained on Monday on charges of corruption and breach of trust.
On Dec. 31 last year, however, prosecutors decided to detain Su -- who made the case public by accusing Liu of soliciting kickbacks -- on the charge of breach of trust because she allegedly used Zanadau's money for private purposes and illegally manipulated the company's stocks when she was the vice president.
"So far, Lee, Hsieh and Liu have denied all the allegations made by Su. As a result, it is necessary for them to speak to each other face to face," said Chen Hung-ta (陳宏達), spokesman for the Taipei District Prosecutors' Office.
The hearing began early yesterday morning and was continuing at press time last night.
Su, Lee and Hsieh were brought to the prosecutors' office around 9am and Liu was summoned around 1pm.
Attorney Lee Sheng-hsiung (李勝雄), who accompanied Su during the hearing, said that the hearing was held to elicit details of what Su has said in press conferences.
"What she [Su] said during the hearing was exactly the same thing that you have heard during previous press conferences, only she provide more details for prosecutors. That is all," Lee said.
Su accused Liu of accepting a kickback of NT$1.06 billion. Su first made her remarks at a press conference at the Legislative Yuan on Sept. 16 last year.
Su said she paid the amount in return for Liu's promise to help her secure financing from banks, a promise which she said he did not honor.
Prosecutors say they have uncovered unusual transactions in Liu's bank accounts.
Su alleged that Lee shared the NT$1.06 billion kickback with Liu and that Hsieh purchased Zanadau stocks with Taiwan Fertilizer Corp's money and Lee's assistance.
RSS