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Chen's daughter fleeing into exile, pan-blues say

Pan-blue legislators yesterday accused the president's daughter of fleeing into exile, while the Presidential Office responded that the allegation was absurd.

Pan-blue lawmakers also criticized prosecutors for not prohibiting Chen Hsing-yu (陳幸妤), President Chen Shui-bian's (陳水扁) daughter, from leaving the country, saying her trip was part of preparations for the first family to abscond.

They demanded that prosecutors question Chen Hsing-yu about the alleged insider-trading scandal involving her husband, Chao Chien-ming (趙建銘), and the alleged embezzlement of a state funds by the president and first lady Wu Shu-jen (吳淑珍).

Chen Hsing-yu has not been charged with any crime.

"Prosecutors have been derelict in their duties, as they have turned a blind eye to Chen Hsing-yu's trip. She is a key figure in the allegations," Chinese Nationalist Party (KMT) Legislator Chiu Yi (邱毅) said.

Chiu said that prosecutors had found a sum of NT$2 million (US$60,780) that had been remitted into a bank account belonging to Chen Hsing-yu while they were investigating the insider-trading claims, adding that some of the receipts used for reimbursement from the president's secret slush fund had allegedly come from Chen Hsing-yu.

Meanwhile, pan-blue politicians yesterday used the news of Chen Hsing-yu's trip to whip a crowd of anti-Chen protesters into a frenzy as they continued their sit-in in Taipei demanding the president's resignation.

"Corrupt rulers always make arrangements for their families before they leave office. A-bian is ready to go into exile, right?" People First Party Legislator Feng Ting-kuo (馮定國) told the crowd, referring to the president by his nickname.

The Presidential Office confirmed yesterday that Chen Hsing-yu (陳幸妤) was in New York, but called on opposition lawmakers to stop engaging in inappropriate speculation about the trip.

"With political tensions rising, it is unnecessary to pour oil on the fire," Presidential Office Spokesman David Lee (李南陽) said.

"I'm calling on politicians to be responsible in their words and actions," he said.

Lee said that he hoped the public would give the first family more room and respect their privacy, adding that Chen Hsing-yu's overseas trip was a personal matter.

"Excessive speculation and drawing inappropriate connections are irresponsible and detrimental to social stability," he said.

Lee said that any sensible person would dismiss Chiu's accusations as a smear campaign.

"Do you think a mother of three would leave all her children at home and go into exile?" he said.

Seven female Democratic Progressive Party (DPP) legislators yesterday expressed their support for Chen Hsing-yu and challenged Chiu to resign if Chen Hsing-yu returned home.

DPP Legislator Kuan Bi-ling (管碧玲) said that Chiu should respect the basic human rights of all individuals and stop verbally abusing women.

DPP Legislator Chuang Ho-tzu (莊和子) called on Chiu to stop sabotaging the public image of other lawmakers and said that Chiu should "think before he opens his mouth."
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