Luo Wen-chia says Chen told `more lies' to cover his mistake in using state funds

Former Democratic Progressive Party (DPP) legislator Luo Wen-chia (羅文嘉) said on Monday that President Chen Shui-bian (陳水扁) might not have intended to embezzle from his "state affairs fund" but made the mistake of trying to cover up contradictions with lies.

"I believe both the president and Chinese Nationalist Party [KMT] Chairman Ma Ying-jeou (馬英九) did not intend to embezzle their discretionary funds. They might just not know how to use it properly," Luo said. "As an old saying goes when you tell a lie, you have to tell more lies to cover it up, that may be where the problem lies."

Luo made the remarks during a question-and-answer session after a speech he delivered at Boston University in Massachusetts.

Luo has been attending a short-term study program at Harvard University since he lost the Taipei County commissioner election last December.

Luo's comments were broadcast on ETTV yesterday.

Luo said that both Chen and Ma considered their discretionary allowance funds as pocket money and did not think that using the money was an act of corruption.

"When the same rule is applied to other people, they question its legality and want offenders to be punished," Luo said. "But when they are in trouble, they want a different set of rules applied to them."

Luo, who used to be considered one of Chen's proteges, also expressed disappointment over the recent performance of the DPP and said he was worried the party might adopt more drastic measures in a bid to salvage its "rock-bottom popularity."