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Control Yuan impeaches former Chen Shui-bian staffers

The Control Yuan yesterday impeached five former officials from former president Chen Shui-bian’s (陳水扁) Presidential Office staff for their handling of his alleged misuse of the state affairs fund.

Chen and his wife, Wu Shu-jen (吳淑珍), were sentenced to life imprisonment in September after being found guilty of corruption and embezzlement.

Control Yuan President Wang Chien-shien (王建煊) said that things would not have happened the way they did if the five officials had stuck to their duties of advising the former president on how to use the discretionary fund and tightly regulating the practice of seeking reimbursement on expenses.

The five are former Presidential Office deputy secretary-general Ma Yung-cheng (馬永成), former Presidential Office director Lin Teh-hsun (林德訓), the former first family’s bookkeeper Chen Chen-hui (陳鎮慧), former director-general of the Presidential Office accounting department Fon Shui-lin (馮瑞麟) and former Presidential Office deputy secretary-general Cho Jung-tai (卓榮泰).

Admitting to using false receipts to claim money from the special fund, Chen Shui-bian insisted the money was spent on “secret diplomatic missions” — not for personal expenses.

“As important members of the presidential staff, what they did in helping the former first couple pocket public funds was tantamount to helping the wicked perpetrate wicked deeds,” Wang said.

Ma and Lin have been found guilty by the Taipei District Court of helping the former first couple embezzle money from public funds and were sentenced to 20 years and 16 years in prison respectively, and stripped of their civil rights for 10 years and eight years respectively.

Chen Chen-hui, who testified as a witness for the prosecution in the first trial, admitted guilt to charges including forgery, perjury, embezzlement and money laundering.

“Chen Shui-bian and Wu Shu-jen were not able to disrupt the system alone. It was because there was a group of civil servants who allowed themselves to be sidetracked by their superiors to disregard their responsibilities to the country and the government,” Wang said.

Control Yuan member Ma Hsiu-ru (馬秀如) said she hoped the impeachment would help restore discipline among civil servants working in the government’s accounting system.

“Since public funds are the hard-won possessions of the people, civil servants should realize that they are accountable to the public, not just to their boss,” she said.
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