Prosecutors requested that a close aide of former president Chen Shui-bian (陳水扁) be detained after questioning him over his role in helping Chen and his family in their alleged embezzlement of public funds and money laundering.
After questioning Lin Teh-hsun (林德訓), who was Chen’s chief secretary from 2005 to earlier this year, the Supreme Prosecutors Office’s Special Investigation Division filed a request with the court for permission to hold Lin incommunicado over fears that he would tamper with evidence related to the case if set free.
Summoned as a potential defendant in the case, Lin was mainly questioned on the nature and destination of money used for so-called “top secret missions” that came from the former president’s discretionary “state affairs fund.”
Prosecutors believe that Lin is familiar with the former first family’s alleged money laundering operations and might be able to provide evidence against Chen and his wife Wu Shu-jen (吳淑珍).
The former president has proclaimed his innocence, insisting that the money from the “state affairs fund” was used for six secret diplomatic missions and that none of the money had been embezzled.
Prosecutors are investigating whether any portion of the “state affairs fund” had been wired to Chen’s family members’ overseas bank accounts during his eight-year presidency.
Meanwhile, the Executive Yuan yesterday held the first meeting of its anti-corruption commission, with Premier Liu Chao-shiuan (劉兆玄) vowing that the Executive Yuan would work closely with the judiciary to complete a thorough investigation of the alleged money-laundering case involving Chen and his family.
Justice Minister Wang Ching-feng (王清峰) told a press conference after the meeting that Liu, doubling as the convener of the commission, instructed members to establish eight task forces to implement President Ma Ying-jeou’s (馬英九) campaign pledge to bring integrity to the nation.
Wang said that Liu, at the suggestion of C.V. Chen (陳長文), president of the Red Cross Society of the Republic of China, said that the Cabinet would consider raising the salaries of public servants to help prevent corruption.
In related news, Chen Shui-bian yesterday denied allegations that he had received bribes from Rich Development.
Chen’s office issued a statement dismissing a report in the Chinese-language China Times that said Rich Group chairman Kuo Chuan-ching (郭銓慶) had given Chen more than NT$100 million (US$3 million) in bribes in order to land several construction projects.
Tsai Ming-che (蔡銘哲), brother of Tsai Mei-li (蔡美利) and a former classmate of Wu, had facilitated the transfer of the money, the report said.
“I’ve never taken any red envelopes or been involved in handing out construction projects since entering politics,” the former president said yesterday in the statement.
Chen Shui-bian condemned media outlets and prosecutors for leaking information about the case and making groundless accusations against him. He also denied knowing Kuo.
Prosecutors had added Tsai Ming-che and his brother Tsai Ming-chieh (蔡銘杰) to the list of defendants in the investigation into the alleged money-laundering case on Thursday. The Tsais and their spouses were summoned by prosecutors for questioning for their alleged role in the case. Tsai Ming-che was detained late on Thursday night.
Meeting a group of supporters in Changhua County yesterday afternoon, Chen Shui-bian once again blamed the Chinese Nationalist Party (KMT) for politicizing the case.
“As long as prosecutors and the judicial system serve as a tool of the ruling party, I know that I have no chance,” he said.
ADDITIONAL REPORTING BY SHIH HSIU-CHUAN AND JIMMY CHUANG
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