Government officials yesterday pledged to bring to justice fugitive Rebar Group chairman Wang You-theng (
"He made off with several hundred billion NT dollars ... This kind of man certainly must be brought back [to stand trial]," Presidential Office Secretary-General Mark Chen (
Wang, who is in the custody of US immigration officials, is expected to face an immigration judge this week in his bid to be admitted to the US.
Wang was sent back to the US after Singapore, at the request of Taiwan, refused to allow him to enter the country when he arrived for a stopover en route to Myanmar.
Chen yesterday said that President Chen Shui-bian (
outraged
"The president is outraged by Wang's actions and directed [government officials] to use all possible means to bring him back to Taiwan," Mark Chen said.
"Wang is abominable. He stole tens of billions of dollars," Mark Chen added.
At a separate setting, Premier Su Tseng-chang (
"It will be an arduous process, but I have demanded that the appropriate government departments make every effort to [handle the matter]. We have to be patient and the government will never give up," Su added.
A TVBS reporter managed to board the flight on which Wang and his wife Wang Chin She-ying (
When the reporter approached the couple in economy class and asked them for an interview, Wang's wife refused the request and attempted to use newspapers to block the camera.
hounded
Footage broadcast by TVBS showed Wang Chin saying: "Sorry, sorry, we've got human rights, right?" and asking the reporter to leave her and her husband alone.
Wang Chin was also shown reading a catalog for duty free merchandise sold on the flight. The TVBS report said Wang Chin appeared to be making a shopping list.
The TVBS report added that two plainclothes Singapore law enforcement officers were monitoring the couple's movements on the flight.
Chung Wen-cheng (
Chung told reporters that he wanted to persuade Wang to return to Taiwan.
"Most Taiwanese who have been detained are happy to see Taiwanese diplomats, but because this is an unusual case, we were refused an audience," Chung said.
Additional reporting by AFP
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