Former first lady Wu Shu-jen (吳淑珍) yesterday denied taking bribes and profiteering in the first pre-trial hearing for a second wave of charges brought against her.
She said that she received NT$300 million (US$9.2 million) in political donations from former Chinatrust Financial Holding Co vice chairman Jeffrey Koo Jr (辜仲諒) and admitted that she violated the Political Donation Act (政治獻金法) because she did not report them.
However, she denied that the money she took from Koo and former Taipei Financial Center Corp chairwoman Diana Chen (陳敏薰) were bribes or illegal gains, adding that she didn’t use the money for personal expenses.
PHOTO: CNA
On May 5, prosecutors said they had concluded the second part of the investigation into the former first family. They charged former president Chen Shui-bian (陳水扁) and his wife with taking bribes, profiteering and violating the Political Donation Act.
Prosecutors accused the former president and his wife of accepting NT$10 million in bribes from Diana Chen.
Prosecutors alleged that Diana Chen gave the former first lady NT$10 million to secure the presidency 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 Koo.
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.
Separately, in response to her daughter, Chen Hsing-yu (陳幸妤), being charged with perjury on Wednesday, Wu told reporters: “I respect the judicial system.”
TV footage showed her grim-faced yesterday morning as she prepared to take the high-speed rail to Taipei for the hearing.
Before Wednesday, Chen Hsing-yu had been the only immediate family member of Chen Shui-bian not named as a defendant in relation to the former first family’s alleged money laundering activities.
Foreign travelers entering Taiwan on a short layover via Taiwan Taoyuan International Airport are receiving NT$600 gift vouchers from yesterday, the Tourism Administration said, adding that it hopes the incentive would boost tourism consumption at the airport. The program, which allows travelers holding non-Taiwan passports who enter the country during a layover of up to 24 hours to claim a voucher, aims to promote attractions at the airport, the agency said in a statement on Friday. To participate, travelers must sign up on the campaign Web site, the agency said. They can then present their passport and boarding pass for their connecting international
Temperatures in northern Taiwan are forecast to reach as high as 30°C today, as an ongoing northeasterly seasonal wind system weakens, the Central Weather Administration (CWA) said. CWA forecaster Tseng Chao-cheng (曾昭誠) said yesterday that with the seasonal wind system weakening, warmer easterly winds would boost the temperature today. Daytime temperatures in northern Taiwan and Yilan County are expected to range from 28°C to 30°C today, up about 3°C from yesterday, Tseng said. According to the CWA, temperature highs in central and southern Taiwan could stay stable. However, the weather is expected to turn cooler starting tonight as the northeasterly wind system strengthens again
COOLING OFF: Temperatures are expected to fall to lows of about 20°C on Sunday and possibly 18°C to 19°C next week, following a wave of northeasterly winds on Friday The Central Weather Administration (CWA) on Sunday forecast more rain and cooler temperatures for northern Taiwan this week, with the mercury dropping to lows of 18°C, as another wave of northeasterly winds sweeps across the country. The current northeasterly winds would continue to affect Taiwan through today, with precipitation peaking today, bringing increased rainfall to windward areas, CWA forecaster Liu Pei-teng (劉沛滕) said. The weather system would weaken slightly tomorrow before another, stronger wave arrives on Friday, lasting into next week, Liu said. From yesterday to today, northern Taiwan can expect cool, wet weather, with lows of 22°C to 23°C in most areas,
Taiwan sweltered through its hottest October on record, the Central Weather Administration (CWA) said yesterday, the latest in a string of global temperature records. The main island endured its highest average temperature since 1950, CWA forecaster Liu Pei-teng said. Temperatures the world over have soared in recent years as human-induced climate change contributes to ever more erratic weather patterns. Taiwan’s average temperature was 27.381°C as of Thursday, Liu said. Liu said the average could slip 0.1°C by the end of yesterday, but it would still be higher than the previous record of 27.009°C in 2016. "The temperature only started lowering around Oct. 18 or 19
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