Internet Gazette Law Paper (法治時報社) publisher and legal expert Huang Yueh-hung (黃越宏) yesterday requested that the Taipei District Prosecutors’ Office file money laundering charges against Democratic Progressive Party (DPP) Legislator Chen Ming-wen (陳明文) and his son, Chen Cheng-ting (陳政廷).
Taiwan High Speed Rail Corp on Tuesday reportedly returned to Chen Ming-wen an unlocked briefcase found on one of its trains that contained NT$3 million (US$95,648) in cash.
Asked for comment, Chen Cheng-ting said that the funds were given to him by his father to start a business.
Photo: Tsai Tsung-hsun, Taipei Times
He said that he wanted to take over his mother’s tea company, Wu Cha, and planned to use the money to open a bubble tea shop in the Philippines.
His father was bringing the money to him when he accidentally left it on the train, he said.
Chen Cheng-ting’s explanation seems to contradict common sense, Huang said.
A 2017 amendment to the Money Laundering Control Act (洗錢防制法) stipulates that it is illegal to own assets for which there are no clear transaction records, he said.
Article 15 of the act stipulates a jail term of up to five years and a fine of up to NT$5 million “if anyone accepts, possesses or uses property or the benefits of property without a reasonable account of the origin of such assets, and if his or her income is obviously disproportionate to the size of such assets.”
Deputy Minister of Justice Tsai Pi-chung (蔡碧仲), who has been tasked with tackling corruption, was recommended to his post by Chen Ming-wen and also acted as his defense lawyer when Chen Ming-wen was being investigated for corruption and dereliction of duty, Huang said.
The two men should be prevented from having further contact with each other, he said.
Investigators should verify whether Chen Ming-wen withdrew the money from a bank, as banks are required to report withdrawals of more than NT$500,000, Huang said.
Investigators should also confirm the origin of the money and when it was acquired to verify whether Chen Ming-wen and Chen Cheng-ting were helping others launder money, he said.
Who carried the money onto the train should also be ascertained to verify whether it was a political donation or a payment made to Chen Ming-wen by another party, he added.
Additional reporting by Hsieh Chun-lin
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