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Costa Rican police seek Taiwanese businessman

Costa Rican President Abel Pacheco denied Tuesday that a naturalized Costa Rican, originally from Taiwan, and his wife bought political favors through a hefty campaign donation.

The businessman, Chi Kwon Li Su -- known in local financial and political circles as Pablo Li -- fled the country in late August with his wife, just hours before a court ordered their arrest in a case of alleged tax fraud amounting to over US$12 million.

Kwon Li's wife, Anita Among, donated more than US$40,000 to Pacheco's Social Christian Unity Party in the campaign that led to his victory in last year. Both Kwon Li and his wife have acquired Costa Rican citizenship.

Kwon Li also donated US$3,000 to the campaign of Rolando Araya, of the National Liberation Party, Pacheco's main rival in the polls.

Pacheco, who attended Kwon Li's a wedding party, said he that had no knowledge of the businessman's shady activities.

At that time, Pacheco said, "He was a highly respected person; president of a bank; president of Taiwanese tradesmen in all of Latin America; at that time he had credentials for me to think he was a person of total and absolute moral solvency."

The case involving Kwon Li comes on the heels of a campaign donations scandal that has hit the Pacheco government and the ruling party. Pacheco denied Tuesday that he was ready to resign because of the scandal.

Kwon Li, along with his wife and a Salvadoran businessman -- identified as Jose Trinidad Sossa and also charged with fraud -- fled Costa Rica on Aug. 27. Shortly after they fled their homes and business offices were raided.

In the search, police found several photographs of Li posing with different politicians, including Pacheco, former presidents Miguel Angel Rodriguez and Rafael Angel Calderon, both of the ruling party, and former president Jose Maria Figueres of the National Liberation Party.

Pacheco and other figures close to the government are under fire after it became public that the Pacheco campaign had set up secret bank accounts for donations.
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