Former first lady Wu Shu-jen’s (吳淑珍) trial on charges of embezzlement, bribery and money-laundering entered its third day yesterday, with former Presidential Office accounting officers testifying on how presidential “state affairs fund” expenses had been handled.
Wu’s lawyer Lin Chih-chung (林志忠) called former Presidential Office accountant Chiu Chiung-hsien (邱瓊賢) to the stand and questioned her on her handling of the state affairs fund.
Chiu said that in processing accounting records related to the fund, her main contact was Chen Chen-hui (陳鎮慧), the former president’s bookkeeper. She replied that she had never had any contact with the former first lady.
“Accounting personnel were mainly responsible for [reimbursement] paperwork,” she said.
As a way of “showing respect for the president,” most of the expense requests from the Presidential Office were approved for reimbursement, and accountants refrained from asking too many questions about the receipts, she said.
When processing paperwork related to the fund, she said she “followed the norm set by others before [her].”
Wu had arrived with her usual entourage of her son, Chen Chih-chung (陳致中), a doctor, a nurse and a caregiver. After announcing that the court was in session, Presiding Judge Tsai Shou-hsun (蔡守訓) asked Wu about her health. Wu, who appeared tired, told the judge that she had not received her regular protein injection because she had rushed to the Taipei District Court.
Tsai asked Wu if she needed a recess to receive the injection, but she declined, saying her blood pressure was normal. However, Wu sounded weaker than usual and yawned incessantly.
Wu a month ago admitted guilt to money laundering and forgery, but denies the embezzlement charges.
Taiwan would benefit from more integrated military strategies and deployments if the US and its allies treat the East China Sea, the Taiwan Strait and the South China Sea as a “single theater of operations,” a Taiwanese military expert said yesterday. Shen Ming-shih (沈明室), a researcher at the Institute for National Defense and Security Research, said he made the assessment after two Japanese military experts warned of emerging threats from China based on a drill conducted this month by the Chinese People’s Liberation Army’s (PLA) Eastern Theater Command. Japan Institute for National Fundamentals researcher Maki Nakagawa said the drill differed from the
‘WORSE THAN COMMUNISTS’: President William Lai has cracked down on his political enemies and has attempted to exterminate all opposition forces, the chairman said The legislature would motion for a presidential recall after May 20, Chinese Nationalist Party (KMT) Chairman Eric Chu (朱立倫) said yesterday at a protest themed “against green communists and dictatorship” in Taipei. Taiwan is supposed to be a peaceful homeland where people are united, but President William Lai (賴清德) has been polarizing and tearing apart society since his inauguration, Chu said. Lai must show his commitment to his job, otherwise a referendum could be initiated to recall him, he said. Democracy means the rule of the people, not the rule of the Democratic Progressive Party (DPP), but Lai has failed to fulfill his
A rally held by opposition parties yesterday demonstrates that Taiwan is a democratic country, President William Lai (賴清德) said yesterday, adding that if opposition parties really want to fight dictatorship, they should fight it on Tiananmen Square in Beijing. The Chinese Nationalist Party (KMT) held a protest with the theme “against green communists and dictatorship,” and was joined by the Taiwan People’s Party. Lai said the opposition parties are against what they called the “green communists,” but do not fight against the “Chinese communists,” adding that if they really want to fight dictatorship, they should go to the right place and face
A fugitive in a suspected cosmetic surgery fraud case today returned to Taiwan from Canada, after being wanted for six years. Internet celebrity Su Chen-tuan (蘇陳端), known as Lady Nai Nai (貴婦奈奈), and her former boyfriend, plastic surgeon Paul Huang (黃博健), allegedly defrauded clients and friends of about NT$1 billion (US$30.66 million). Su was put on a wanted list in 2019 when she lived in Toronto, Canada, after failing to respond to subpoenas and arrest warrants from the Taipei District Prosecutors’ Office. Su arrived at Taiwan Taoyuan International Airport at 5am today on an EVA Air flight accompanied by a
RSS