Taipei district prosecutors yesterday questioned a former housekeeper of former president Chen Shui-bian (陳水扁) on suspicion that she had given false testimony when questioned before about Chen's expenses.
Lo Shih Li-yun (羅施麗雲), known to many as “Mrs Lo,” worked for more than a decade for the former president and his wife Wu Shu-jen (吳淑珍) and developed a close relationship with them.
Lo mainly worked as a caregiver for the former first lady. She was also partly involved in the family's expenses because she was often sent out to buy food or supplies for the former first family.
The Taipei District Court had asked prosecutors to investigate Lo and others who had been questioned before regarding the former first family's expenses. Lo is suspected of purposely giving false testimony and destroying evidence to protect the former president and his wife from being convicted of embezzlement.
Lo and her husband, both of whom had been summoned by district prosecutors for questioning on suspicion of perjury, arrived at the Taipei District Prosecutors' Office yesterday afternoon, but declined to say anything to reporters.
Prosecutors said Lo and her husband had previously testified that Chen used part of the money from the presidential “state affairs fund” to award her and her husband for their work for the family. However, the district court asked prosecutors to investigate the matter and gather evidence on whether the two were telling the truth about Chen's use of public funds.
On Sept 11, Chen and his wife were convicted by the district court of a number of charges, including embezzlement of the “state affairs fund.” Their cases are both under appeal.
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