Taiwan is continuing to seek an extradition treaty with the US that would provide for Taiwanese fugitives in the US to be repatriated to face justice, a Taiwanese official in the US said on Thursday.
Taiwan’s deputy representative to the US Tung Kuo-yu (董國猷) said the two sides have discussed the issue for some time, but he declined to say what progress had been made in the discussions or predict when the two sides could reach an agreement.
“Anything can happen,” Tung said.
He said Taiwan and the US have been exchanging information on judicial cases based on an existing judicial aid agreement, but he would not specify what assistance Taiwan has obtained through the system.
Tung was speaking at a news briefing held in Washington when he was asked about what progress had been made in the search for a fugitive suspect in the money-laundering trial of former president Chen Shui-bian (陳水扁) and his family.
Prosecutors listed Huang Fang-yen (黃芳彥), former deputy superintendent of the Shin Kong Wu Ho-Su Memorial Hospital and a close friend of the former first family, as a suspect in the case after he repeatedly refused to answer subpoenas.
Huang left for the US in November before prosecutors could question him about allegations that he helped former first lady Wu Shu-jen (吳淑珍) launder money.
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