Former president Chen Shui-bian’s (陳水扁) court-appointed attorney, Tseng Te-rong (曾德榮), said he would do his best to defend Chen when he represents him for the first time in a hearing at the district court today.
Presiding Judge Tsai Shou-hsun (蔡守訓) has scheduled pre-trial hearings today on new charges laid against the former president and his wife, Wu Shu-jen (吳淑珍).
On May 5, prosecutors said they had concluded the second part of the investigation into the former first family and charged Chen and his wife with taking bribes, profiteering and violating the Political Donation Act (政治獻金法).
CHARGES
Prosecutors accused Chen Shui-bian and his wife of taking NT$10 million (US$300,000) in bribes from former Taipei Financial Center Corp chairwoman Diana Chen (陳敏薰).
They alleged that Diana Chen gave the former first lady NT$10 million to help her gain the post of president of Grand Cathay Securities Corp (大華證券).
The indictment also accused the couple of inappropriately taking NT$300 million in political donations from former Chinatrust Financial Holding Co vice chairman Jeffrey Koo Jr (辜仲諒).
Prosecutors accused the former president of using election campaign funds and secret foreign relations as excuses to ask Koo for donations, which the couple then pocketed.
The second indictment would be combined with the first indictment and heard together with Tsai as the presiding judge.
Last Tuesday, the court arranged for a second attorney, Tang Chen-chi (唐禎祺), to represent Chen and share the workload.
ARGUMENT
Tseng said he had finished going over documents related to the additional charges and had prepared his argument against the charges to be presented in court today.
Asked if the former president’s refusal to discuss the case with him would affect his ability to build a solid case, Tseng said he would do his best to defend Chen even though Chen had refused to see him.
The former president dismissed all three of his former lawyers and said he refused to see Tseng to protest against an unfair judicial system.
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