Former president Chen Shui-bian (陳水扁) and his wife Wu Shu-jen (吳淑珍) may face a second round of indictments, prosecutors said yesterday.
The Special Investigation Panel (SIP) plans to question the former president on whether he accepted bribes from former Taipei Financial Center Corp chairwoman Diana Chen (陳敏薰) and former Chinatrust Financial Holding Co vice chairman Jeffrey Koo Jr (辜仲諒).
Prosecutors say that Diana Chen gave the former first lady NT$10 million (US$300,000) in exchange for her seat as president of Grand Cathay Securities Corp (大華證券).
‘POLITICAL DONATION’
While both Wu and Diana Chen admitted to the money transaction, both denied it was bribery and said the money was a form of “political donation.”
Last month, when Diana Chen was summoned to give her testimony at the Taipei District Court, she told the court that she wanted to make a contribution to the country by donating money to the Democratic Progressive Party through Wu.
Koo is suspected of illegally giving the former first family as much as NT$300 million.
Prosecutors say that the former president used election campaign funds and classified foreign relations as excuses to ask Koo for donations that the former president and his wife then pocketed. This may constitute influence peddling, a charge that may be added to the original charges of embezzlement, corruption, forgery and other crimes, prosecutors said.
RELEASE
Meanwhile, Presiding Judge Tsai Shou-hsun (蔡守訓) has scheduled a hearing on Thursday to decide if Chen Shui-bian will remain incarcerated at the Taipei Detention Center where he is being held. Prosecutors have said it is necessary to jail the former president to prevent him from colluding with witnesses or absconding.
SIP spokesperson Chen Yun-nan (陳雲南) said prosecutors would request that the former president remain in detention because “the reasons for detention still apply.”
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