Despite the presence of judges, lawyers and dozens of spectators, former president Chen Shui-bian (陳水扁) shared a quiet moment with his wife, Wu Shu-jen (吳淑珍), yesterday, the first since early last month.
The emotional get-together took place after both were called to the Taiwan High Court to answer questions in a retrial involving accusations that the former first couple embezzled secret diplomatic funds.
The former first couple appeared uninterested in their arguments in the case, which were read by their lawyers. Instead the two spent most of the court appearance with their heads down, engaged in quiet conversation.
A frail looking Wu, was heard telling the former president that he needed to dress more warmly. Before leaving, she was also seen giving Chen milk caramel candy.
Judges denied a request from the defense to give the couple more time together to discuss their case, part of the many legal proceedings in which the two have been embroiled since Chen stepped down in May 2008.
Wu told judges during the session that she hoped they would call on Chen to appear at court whenever she is also due to make an appearance in the future.
The two are expected to see each other again in the coming month as the court hears their arguments on other charges of bribery in relation to the construction of the Nangang Exhibition Hall and laundering money overseas.
Both Chen and Wu have already been sentenced to 17-and-a-half-year sentences in a separate case involving two other instances of bribery concerning a land transaction in Taoyuan County and helping former Taipei Financial Center Corp chairwoman Diana Chen (陳敏薰) secure a financial appointment.
After being upheld by the Supreme Court in November, the former president began serving his sentence at Taipei Prison on Dec. 2. It is not yet certain when Wu, wheelchair-bound and suffering from ill health, will begin serving her term.
Despite a recent report by the Chinese-language Next Magazine claiming that President Ma Ying-jeou (馬英九) told judicial authorities to keep Wu out of prison, Ministry of Justice officials said that procedure would be followed.
“Prosecutors have already received information on Wu’s health from her hospitals and will be making further arrangements with [Taichung Prison],” Minister of Justice Tseng Yung-fu (曾勇夫) said yesterday.
Yesterday’s proceedings came one day after Chen Shui-bian denied that he encouraged members of his staff, including former office director Lin Teh-hsun (林德訓) and former top aide Ma Yung-cheng (馬永成), to falsify evidence, responding to separate accusations from prosecutors.
Eight Chinese naval vessels and 24 military aircraft were detected crossing the median line of the Taiwan Strait between 6am yesterday and 6am today, the Ministry of National Defense said this morning. The aircraft entered Taiwan’s northern, central, southwestern and eastern air defense identification zones, the ministry said. The armed forces responded with mission aircraft, naval vessels and shore-based missile systems to closely monitor the situation, it added. Eight naval vessels, one official ship and 36 aircraft sorties were spotted in total, the ministry said.
INCREASED CAPACITY: The flights on Mondays, Wednesdays, Fridays and Sundays would leave Singapore in the morning and Taipei in the afternoon Singapore Airlines is adding four supplementary flights to Taipei per week until May to meet increased tourist and business travel demand, the carrier said on Friday. The addition would raise the number of weekly flights it operates to Taipei to 18, Singapore Airlines Taiwan general manager Timothy Ouyang (歐陽漢源) said. The airline has recorded a steady rise in tourist and business travel to and from Taipei, and aims to provide more flexible travel arrangements for passengers, said Ouyang, who assumed the post in July last year. From now until Saturday next week, four additional flights would depart from Singapore on Monday, Wednesday, Friday
The Ministry of National Defense yesterday reported the return of large-scale Chinese air force activities after their unexplained absence for more than two weeks, which had prompted speculation regarding Beijing’s motives. China usually sends fighter jets, drones and other military aircraft around the nation on a daily basis. Interruptions to such routine are generally caused by bad weather. The Ministry of National Defense said it had detected 26 Chinese military aircraft in the Taiwan Strait over the previous 24 hours. It last reported that many aircraft on Feb. 25, when it spotted 30 aircraft, saying Beijing was carrying out another “joint combat
Taiwan successfully defended its women’s 540 kilogram title and won its first-ever men’s 640 kg title at the 2026 World Indoor Tug of War Championships in Taipei yesterday. In the women’s event, Taiwan’s eight-person squad reached the final following a round-robin preliminary round and semifinals featuring teams from Ukraine, Japan, Thailand, Vietnam, the Basque Country and South Korea. In the finals, they swept the Basque team 2-0, giving the team composed mainly of National Taiwan Normal University students and graduates its second championship in a row, and its fourth in five years. Team captain
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