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Friday, 7 November 2008
Chen Shui-bian's family members grilled in court in money-laundering case
Former Taiwanese president Chen Shui-bian’s family members were questioned yesterday in connection with the continuing money-laundering scandal, court officials said.
Chen’s family members grilled in court in money-laundering case
AFP in Taipei 7 November 2008
Former Taiwanese president Chen Shui-bian’s family members were questioned yesterday in connection with the continuing money-laundering scandal, court officials said.
Mr. Chen’s son, daughter and daughter-in-law were summonsed by Taipei District Court as witnesses in a case against the island’s former intelligence chief over his alleged role in the scandal.
Television footage showed them entering the courthouse yesterday morning without making any comment to reporters. But Mr. Chen’s daughter, Chen Hsin-yu, claimed she had been hit from behind by a camera while being chased by the media.
The former president’s son, daughter and daughter-in-law all told the court they had simply followed instructions of Wu Shu-chen, Mr. Chen’s wife, and knew little about the family’s financial details.
Mr. Chen’s son, Chen Chih-chung, denied he had been involved in any money-laundering activities.
When asked by the judge why he had transferred a large amount of money to overseas bank accounts, he said it was to spread financial risk, saying the money was clean. “If we keep money in the house, we might lose it to thieves. If we put it in a single account, the bank may go bankrupt,” he told the court.
His wife, Huang Jui-ching, said she knew nothing about the family’s finances, which were controlled by her mother-in-law.
“I dared not ask her [about the family’s financial arrangements]. Sometimes she would tell me what to tell the bank staff, and I simply followed her instructions,” she said.
The questioning ended in an angry exchange of words between the judge and the former first family.
The judge scolded Chen Chih-chung and told him not to “play with words” when answering the court’s questions. Chen Hsin-yu, known for her outspokenness, described the entire process as a “political persecution of our family”.
“My family has always been persecuted,” she said. “There has never been a just case against us. It was so 20 years ago, and it is the same now.”
Chen Shui-bian has claimed that Taiwanese President Ma Ying-jeou’s government has been persecuting his family to please Beijing and the visiting mainland envoy, Chen Yunlin .
Chen Shui-bian, his wife, son, daughter-in-law and brother-in-law have all been named as defendants in the case, but they have not yet been formally charged. Those are different steps in Taiwan’s legal process.
Taiwanese prosecutors say US$21 million was sent to Swiss bank accounts belonging to Mr. Chen’s daughter-in-law last year. The funds have since been frozen.
Chen Shui-bian has admitted that his wife wired US$21 million abroad from past campaign funds, but said she did so without his knowledge. He denies laundering money.
The former president, who left office in May after serving for eight years, is also being investigated for allegedly embezzling NT$14.8 million (HK$3.50 million) in special expenses while he was president.
His wife is on trial in the same case, but the trial has stalled because she has phoned in sick 17 times.
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Chen’s family members grilled in court in money-laundering case
AFP in Taipei
7 November 2008
Former Taiwanese president Chen Shui-bian’s family members were questioned yesterday in connection with the continuing money-laundering scandal, court officials said.
Mr. Chen’s son, daughter and daughter-in-law were summonsed by Taipei District Court as witnesses in a case against the island’s former intelligence chief over his alleged role in the scandal.
Television footage showed them entering the courthouse yesterday morning without making any comment to reporters. But Mr. Chen’s daughter, Chen Hsin-yu, claimed she had been hit from behind by a camera while being chased by the media.
The former president’s son, daughter and daughter-in-law all told the court they had simply followed instructions of Wu Shu-chen, Mr. Chen’s wife, and knew little about the family’s financial details.
Mr. Chen’s son, Chen Chih-chung, denied he had been involved in any money-laundering activities.
When asked by the judge why he had transferred a large amount of money to overseas bank accounts, he said it was to spread financial risk, saying the money was clean. “If we keep money in the house, we might lose it to thieves. If we put it in a single account, the bank may go bankrupt,” he told the court.
His wife, Huang Jui-ching, said she knew nothing about the family’s finances, which were controlled by her mother-in-law.
“I dared not ask her [about the family’s financial arrangements]. Sometimes she would tell me what to tell the bank staff, and I simply followed her instructions,” she said.
The questioning ended in an angry exchange of words between the judge and the former first family.
The judge scolded Chen Chih-chung and told him not to “play with words” when answering the court’s questions. Chen Hsin-yu, known for her outspokenness, described the entire process as a “political persecution of our family”.
“My family has always been persecuted,” she said. “There has never been a just case against us. It was so 20 years ago, and it is the same now.”
Chen Shui-bian has claimed that Taiwanese President Ma Ying-jeou’s government has been persecuting his family to please Beijing and the visiting mainland envoy, Chen Yunlin .
Chen Shui-bian, his wife, son, daughter-in-law and brother-in-law have all been named as defendants in the case, but they have not yet been formally charged. Those are different steps in Taiwan’s legal process.
Taiwanese prosecutors say US$21 million was sent to Swiss bank accounts belonging to Mr. Chen’s daughter-in-law last year. The funds have since been frozen.
Chen Shui-bian has admitted that his wife wired US$21 million abroad from past campaign funds, but said she did so without his knowledge. He denies laundering money.
The former president, who left office in May after serving for eight years, is also being investigated for allegedly embezzling NT$14.8 million (HK$3.50 million) in special expenses while he was president.
His wife is on trial in the same case, but the trial has stalled because she has phoned in sick 17 times.
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