Prosecutors investigating alleged money-laundering by former president Chen Shui-bian (陳水扁) yesterday said they had received documents they had requested from Swiss authorities that supported the allegations against the former first family.
The Chinese-language China Times reported yesterday that the documents, which were requested from Swiss authorities through judicial mutual assistance by Taiwanese prosecutors more than a year ago, showed that Chen’s son, Chen Chih-chung (陳致中), played a pivotal role in the former first family’s alleged money-laundering activities.
It was reported that Chen Chih-chung, who since the beginning of the scandal has insisted he was merely doing what he was told by his mother, Wu Shu-jen (吳淑珍), signed his name on numerous documents establishing paper companies such as Galahad Management and Bouchon Ltd to launder as much as US$21.08 million in overseas bank accounts.
Special Investigation Panel (SIP) spokesperson Chen Yun-nan (陳雲南) confirmed yesterday that prosecutors had received the documents and were in the process of having them translated into Chinese to be submitted to the Taiwan High Court. He did not elaborate on the contents of the documents.
The appeals court is reviewing the Taipei District Court’s guilty verdict handed down to members of the former first family on Sept 11.
SIP prosecutors charged Chen Chih-chung and his wife, Huang Jui-ching (黃睿靚), with money laundering for helping wire funds overseas and establishing paper companies with the intent of laundering money.
As the SIP last year issued indictments against the former president and his family members for helping to launder money before the documents were received from Swiss authorities, the newly obtained evidence could play an important role in helping High Court judges reach a verdict.
However, the SIP said the new evidence would not help them in their investigation into further alleged counts of money laundering.
The SIP is also in the middle of a low-key probe into allegations that the former first family received bribes from bankers and businesspeople during the second financial reform.
Chen Chih-chung was sentenced in September to two-and-a-half years in jail for money laundering, while Huang received a suspended sentence for the same charge.
The former president and his wife were both given life sentences for corruption.
ADDITIONAL REPORTING BY AFP
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