Former Taiwan leader insists he is innocent
TAIPEI (AFP) - Former Taiwan president Chen Shui-bian insisted Monday he was innocent of taking bribes, as he appeared in court for a pre-trial hearing on charges he says are politically motivated. The 58-year-old, out of office for less than a year, arrived at court in handcuffs under tight security, the latest development in a case that has electrified this island of 23 million people since his arrest in November. Chen and his family are alleged to have taken more than 10 million US dollars in bribes from an industry tycoon. "I'm not guilty," he told the court. "Saying that I took bribes, I would rather die." The former leader has admitted that his wife transferred 20 million US dollars abroad but said that money was from past campaign funds and that she had done so without his knowledge. He has also admitted submitting bogus expense forms while in office but said the money was used for "secret diplomatic missions" and not for personal benefit. He has been charged with embezzlement, taking bribes and money laundering, and faces life in prison. Eastern Television, a local network, reported prosecutors also want to charge him with influence peddling and blackmail. Chen was fiercely in favour of independence from China, which considers the island part of its territory, and says he is the victim of a witch-hunt by the current pro-China government that took power after him last year. No date has yet been set for the trial to begin. The former president and his wife, Wu Shu-chen, are accused of embezzling 104 million Taiwan dollars (3.15 million US) in public funds and accepting a bribe of about 12 million US dollars in a land purchase deal. Prosecutors also allege that Wu took a kickback of 2.7 million US dollars in a construction project. Their son and daughter-in-law have also been charged with money laundering. Taiwan's former intelligence chief Yeh Sheng-mao was jailed in December for covering up Chen's suspected money laundering activities abroad. Chen's family have agreed to turn over 21 million US dollars found in their Swiss bank accounts to the Taipei government. Before Monday's court session, Chen's lawyer Cheng Wen-lung called for the former president to receive a fair hearing. "This case is drawing much attention. We hope the former president will receive a fair trial, so that the truth behind the case will come out," he said. Taiwan's high court earlier this month rejected Chen's appeal against his detention, saying that if freed he "could destroy and tamper with the evidence and collude with other suspects or witnesses," or that he could flee. Chen, who pledged to clean up notoriously corrupt Taiwanese politics when he took power in 2000, left office in May after serving the maximum two four-year terms as president.
http://asia.news.yahoo.com/090119/afp/090119053544int.html
More stories from Chen's Book
TAIPEI (AFP) - Former Taiwan president Chen Shui-bian insisted Monday he was innocent of taking bribes, as he appeared in court for a pre-trial hearing on charges he says are politically motivated. The 58-year-old, out of office for less than a year, arrived at court in handcuffs under tight security, the latest development in a case that has electrified this island of 23 million people since his arrest in November. Chen and his family are alleged to have taken more than 10 million US dollars in bribes from an industry tycoon. "I'm not guilty," he told the court. "Saying that I took bribes, I would rather die." The former leader has admitted that his wife transferred 20 million US dollars abroad but said that money was from past campaign funds and that she had done so without his knowledge. He has also admitted submitting bogus expense forms while in office but said the money was used for "secret diplomatic missions" and not for personal benefit. He has been charged with embezzlement, taking bribes and money laundering, and faces life in prison. Eastern Television, a local network, reported prosecutors also want to charge him with influence peddling and blackmail. Chen was fiercely in favour of independence from China, which considers the island part of its territory, and says he is the victim of a witch-hunt by the current pro-China government that took power after him last year. No date has yet been set for the trial to begin. The former president and his wife, Wu Shu-chen, are accused of embezzling 104 million Taiwan dollars (3.15 million US) in public funds and accepting a bribe of about 12 million US dollars in a land purchase deal. Prosecutors also allege that Wu took a kickback of 2.7 million US dollars in a construction project. Their son and daughter-in-law have also been charged with money laundering. Taiwan's former intelligence chief Yeh Sheng-mao was jailed in December for covering up Chen's suspected money laundering activities abroad. Chen's family have agreed to turn over 21 million US dollars found in their Swiss bank accounts to the Taipei government. Before Monday's court session, Chen's lawyer Cheng Wen-lung called for the former president to receive a fair hearing. "This case is drawing much attention. We hope the former president will receive a fair trial, so that the truth behind the case will come out," he said. Taiwan's high court earlier this month rejected Chen's appeal against his detention, saying that if freed he "could destroy and tamper with the evidence and collude with other suspects or witnesses," or that he could flee. Chen, who pledged to clean up notoriously corrupt Taiwanese politics when he took power in 2000, left office in May after serving the maximum two four-year terms as president.
http://asia.news.yahoo.com/090119/afp/090119053544int.html
More stories from Chen's Book
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