Prosecutors and other judicial officials yesterday continued summoning executives of several enterprises belonging to Rebar Group enterprises founded by Wang.

Wang spent his first night without freedom at the Santa Ana Jail after he was detained by American immigration officials after landing with his wife on a flight from Singapore.

But he was transferred to the San Pedro Processing Center that has more secure facilities.

A hearing is expected to be held on Monday to determine whether Wang should continue to be held or released.

Although Wang's Republic of China and Dominican Republic passports have been revoked, his wife Chin Shih-ying and an unknown number of their children still hold valid U.S. passports.

Wang refused to meet with Taiwan officials posted on the U.S. West Coast after his return to Los Angeles.

Legal experts said Wang made the wrong move in originally leaving the U.S. in an attempt to flee to Myanmar via Singapore because he could have avoided detention while on American soil because his wife is a U.S. citizen and because he has not broken any American laws.

The experts speculated that Wang could had come under pressure from unidentified sources to take the unusual move to leave the U.S.

But officials in Taiwan could have also blundered by canceling his passport. Without a valid passport the American authorities will have difficulty sending him back to Taiwan, the experts said.

Premier Su Tseng-chang admitted that it may take a long time to see Wang stand trial in Taiwan because Taipei and Washington have no extradition treaty.

The United States does not recognize Taiwan, which Beijing regards as part of its territory.

"The United States is a country of rule of law... We should bear in mind it's no easy task and it could take patience and a long time to complete the legal procedure," Su said.

Wang, 80, may seek political asylum in the United States or plead ill health.

However, Su stressed that the government and all officials in the judicial and foreign affairs ministries will continue working hard to bring Wang back to stand trial in front of his countrymen for having allegedly embezzled billions of dollars from his companies.

Some in Taiwan blame a senior official for the failure to win cooperation from the Singaporean authorities on Saturday to bring Wang and his wife back here when they made a transit stay at Singapore's Changyi International Airport on their planned trip to Myanmar.

Singaporean authorities deported the two back to the U.S. citing problems with Wang's travel documents. They declined to heed a request from Taiwan officials to place Wang on any flight making a stopover in Taiwan.

Chen Tan Sun, chief aide and secretary-general to President Chen Shui-bian, said the president was deeply concerned about Wang fleeing back to the U.S.

But he was also quizzed by reporters about earlier derogatory remarks he made describing Singapore as a "booger" and "LP" ("men's genitals" in local dialect) for refusing to cooperate in returning Wang to Taiwan.

When responding to the question, the president's aide declined to criticize Singapore and denied any relationship between his harsh criticism of Singapore and Wang's escape back to the U.S.

Prosecutors and investigators probing the Rebar Group's financial fiasco called several more executives and members of the Wang family to answer questions concerning the capital flow among affiliated companies.

They have so far uncovered the diversion of at least NT$51.5 billion of funds from various affiliated firms and two financial institutions of the Rebar Group.

Three of Wang's sons and his brother have been detained and more than 80 executives working for Rebar companies are barred from leaving the country.

Investigators aim to complete at least some criminal proceedings involving Wang his family and certain senior corporate executives involved in the scams before the Lunar New Year holidays, officials said.

They plan to use any evidence that emerges in further negotiations with the American authorities in attempting to have Wang returned to Taiwan to face justice.