Prosecutors investigating former president Chen Shui-bian’s (陳水扁) alleged money-laundering activities yesterday said they were close to concluding their investigation and delivering another round of indictments to the former first family and businesspeople involved in the case.
Special Investigation Panel (SIP) spokesperson Chen Yun-nan (陳雲南) said the panel had recently questioned several witnesses and defendants suspected of helping the former first family launder money and it would soon summon former China Development Financial Holding Corp (中華開發金控) president Angelo Koo (辜仲瑩) for questioning.
Koo and China Development Financial chief financial officer Sherie Chiu (邱德馨), both of whom have been named as defendants in the money-laundering case, allegedly helped former first lady Wu Shu-jen (吳淑珍) transfer US$600,000 and NT$34 million (US$1 million) from a Taiwanese account in the name of Wu’s elder brother Wu Ching-mao (吳景茂) to the family’s accounts in Singapore and the Netherlands between 2003 and 2005.
In 2004, Wu Shu-jen allegedly gave Koo US$1 million and asked him to transfer the money to Wu Ching-mao’s and her son Chen Chih-chung’s (陳致中) foreign accounts, prosecutors said.
Another person being investigated on suspicion of helping the former first family launder funds is former China Steel Corp chairman Lin Wen-yuan (林文淵). Lin, who was also named as a defendant in the investigation, was in charge of Chen Shui-bian’s campaign funds during the 2000 presidential election.
Prosecutors said Lin allegedly helped the former first family buy two pieces of real estate in 2007, then profited to the tune of tens of millions of NT dollars by selling off the properties.
Other defendants who have been questioned and may soon receive indictments include Yuanta Financial Holding Co president Victor Ma (馬維建), former Yuanta Securities Corp (元大證券) board member Tu Li-ping (杜麗萍) and chairwoman Judy Tu (杜麗莊), Wu Ching-mao (吳景茂) and his wife Chen Chun-ying (陳俊英), as well as Chen Shui-bian’s son Chen Chih-chung and daughter-in-law Huang Jui-ching (黃睿靚).
In related news, the panel has petitioned that the Taiwan High Court try Chen Chih-chung, Chen Shui-bian’s daughter Chen Hsing-yu (陳幸妤) and his son-in-law Chao Chien-ming (趙建銘) for corruption in conjunction with perjury charges.
The three were suspected of corruption by district court judges, who had requested prosecutorial action.
Prosecutors said they petitioned for the cases to be combined at the High Court based on the principle of double jeopardy which protects defendants from being tried or punished twice for the same crime.
Three Taiwanese airlines have prohibited passengers from packing Bluetooth earbuds and their charger cases in checked luggage. EVA Air and Uni Air said that Bluetooth earbuds and charger cases are categorized as portable electronic devices, which should be switched off if they are placed in checked luggage based on international aviation safety regulations. They must not be in standby or sleep mode. However, as charging would continue when earbuds are placed in the charger cases, which would contravene international aviation regulations, their cases must be carried as hand luggage, they said. Tigerair Taiwan said that earbud charger cases are equipped
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
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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