Frail, defiant Chen pleads not guilty to corruption charges
‘I have not committed any crime,’ says Taiwan’s ex-president
Lawrence Chung in Taipei 25 February 2009
A frail former Taiwanese president Chen Shui-bian pleaded not guilty to corruption charges, insisting that the prosecution was politically motivated.
“I am not guilty at all because I have not committed any crime,” Chen said in a pre-trial hearing at Taipei District Court yesterday.
Chen, who on Monday ended his three-day hunger strike against what he claimed was injustice and political persecution, accused prosecutors of collaborating with the judges in trying to lock him up until he died.
“What can I do but to give in if you judges and prosecutors all want me to die in order to complete your political mission,” he said.
He said he could not trust the judicial system any longer because it had degenerated to just a political tool to serve Ma Ying-jeou’s mainland-friendly government.
Chen claims the Ma government wants to appease the mainland, which Chen angered with his pro-independence stance.
He said the prosecutors had failed to provide solid evidence showing he embezzled the special state funds and accepted bribes from a businessman.
Chen also called into question the impartiality of Judge Tsai Shou-hsun, head of a panel of three judges.
He asked why, if Judge Tsai could believe there was a distortion in a witness’ testimony against Mr. Ma, he could not believe the same in Chen’s case.
On Monday, Chen’s lawyers claimed prosecutors distorted and altered the words of several witnesses in order to accuse Chen of accepting bribes through a land deal.
Mr. Ma, who was charged with embezzling a special monthly allowance during his time as Taipei mayor between 1998 and 2006, had objected to the testimony prosecutors used to charge him. Judge Tsai later cleared Mr. Ma of the charges due to a lack of evidence.
Chen’s three lawyers took turns questioning the embezzlement charges, saying that, as president, it was impossible and highly unnecessary for him to check or intervene in the work of his former chief accountant, Chen Cheng-hui.
They shifted the blame to Chen Cheng-hui, saying it was her job to account for all the funds and that the ex-president had no idea how she went about her work. Last week, she pleaded guilty to embezzlement charges, dealing a serious blow to the former president.
Chen Shui-bian, who has been detained since late December, was charged with embezzling NT$104 million (HK$24 million) in special state funds, accepting NT$400 million in bribes through a land deal, money laundering, extortion, influence peddling and other offences. If convicted, he faces life imprisonment.
The hearing, which focused on the embezzlement and bribery charges, was an extension of the first hearing on his case last month, during which he also pleaded not guilty to all charges. It came after 10 of the 14 defendants in the corruption case, including his wife, son, daughter-in-law, brother-in-law and sister-in-law, all admitted money laundering.
Despite his frail condition, a result of his hunger strike, Chen was brought before the court in handcuffs and amid tight security.
He appeared to be ailing during the first two hours of the hearing, prompting Judge Tsai to grant him a 10-minute break and ask if he wanted his blood pressure checked. Chen declined.
The former president surprised the judges by raising his voice when he accused three prosecutors of currying favour with former president Lee Teng-hui and Mr. Ma by not probing their alleged wrongdoings. Judge Tsai cut off his accusations, saying they were irrelevant to his case. But Chen insisted the accusations were relevant because they showed the prosecutors were biased and that the trial against him was unfair.
Two of Chen’s supporters, who were allowed to view the hearing, also managed to temporarily disrupt the proceeding by shouting at a prosecutor. “We always stand by you, long live Ah Bian,” shouted the supporters before they were expelled from the court.
1 comment:
Frail, defiant Chen pleads not guilty to corruption charges
‘I have not committed any crime,’ says Taiwan’s ex-president
Lawrence Chung in Taipei
25 February 2009
A frail former Taiwanese president Chen Shui-bian pleaded not guilty to corruption charges, insisting that the prosecution was politically motivated.
“I am not guilty at all because I have not committed any crime,” Chen said in a pre-trial hearing at Taipei District Court yesterday.
Chen, who on Monday ended his three-day hunger strike against what he claimed was injustice and political persecution, accused prosecutors of collaborating with the judges in trying to lock him up until he died.
“What can I do but to give in if you judges and prosecutors all want me to die in order to complete your political mission,” he said.
He said he could not trust the judicial system any longer because it had degenerated to just a political tool to serve Ma Ying-jeou’s mainland-friendly government.
Chen claims the Ma government wants to appease the mainland, which Chen angered with his pro-independence stance.
He said the prosecutors had failed to provide solid evidence showing he embezzled the special state funds and accepted bribes from a businessman.
Chen also called into question the impartiality of Judge Tsai Shou-hsun, head of a panel of three judges.
He asked why, if Judge Tsai could believe there was a distortion in a witness’ testimony against Mr. Ma, he could not believe the same in Chen’s case.
On Monday, Chen’s lawyers claimed prosecutors distorted and altered the words of several witnesses in order to accuse Chen of accepting bribes through a land deal.
Mr. Ma, who was charged with embezzling a special monthly allowance during his time as Taipei mayor between 1998 and 2006, had objected to the testimony prosecutors used to charge him. Judge Tsai later cleared Mr. Ma of the charges due to a lack of evidence.
Chen’s three lawyers took turns questioning the embezzlement charges, saying that, as president, it was impossible and highly unnecessary for him to check or intervene in the work of his former chief accountant, Chen Cheng-hui.
They shifted the blame to Chen Cheng-hui, saying it was her job to account for all the funds and that the ex-president had no idea how she went about her work. Last week, she pleaded guilty to embezzlement charges, dealing a serious blow to the former president.
Chen Shui-bian, who has been detained since late December, was charged with embezzling NT$104 million (HK$24 million) in special state funds, accepting NT$400 million in bribes through a land deal, money laundering, extortion, influence peddling and other offences. If convicted, he faces life imprisonment.
The hearing, which focused on the embezzlement and bribery charges, was an extension of the first hearing on his case last month, during which he also pleaded not guilty to all charges. It came after 10 of the 14 defendants in the corruption case, including his wife, son, daughter-in-law, brother-in-law and sister-in-law, all admitted money laundering.
Despite his frail condition, a result of his hunger strike, Chen was brought before the court in handcuffs and amid tight security.
He appeared to be ailing during the first two hours of the hearing, prompting Judge Tsai to grant him a 10-minute break and ask if he wanted his blood pressure checked. Chen declined.
The former president surprised the judges by raising his voice when he accused three prosecutors of currying favour with former president Lee Teng-hui and Mr. Ma by not probing their alleged wrongdoings. Judge Tsai cut off his accusations, saying they were irrelevant to his case. But Chen insisted the accusations were relevant because they showed the prosecutors were biased and that the trial against him was unfair.
Two of Chen’s supporters, who were allowed to view the hearing, also managed to temporarily disrupt the proceeding by shouting at a prosecutor. “We always stand by you, long live Ah Bian,” shouted the supporters before they were expelled from the court.
Post a Comment