although the two were allowed to leave Singapore and head directly back to Los Angeles after they refused to take any flights that made stopovers in Taiwan, where they face arrest for corruption and embezzlement charges. A spokesman of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs (MOFA) said the government has obtained information and taken steps to block the Wangs from proceeding to Myanmar (Burma) via Singapore.
The official said a Dominican Republic passport held by Wang had been revoked by the Dominican Republic government at the request of Taiwan and that he might have problems entering the United States unless he has other passports.
Wang's Republic of China (ROC) passport was already canceled earlier.
The couple arrived at Singapore's Changi International Airport at around 6 a.m. yesterday on their way from Los Angeles to Myanmar.
They immediately came under close monitoring from the Singapore authorities and ROC officials stationed in Singapore, despite the absence of a judicial assistance accord between Taiwan and Singapore.
Through intensive negotiations between the two sides, the Singapore immigration authorities originally agreed to facilitate Wang's extradition by arranging for the couple to fly a Singapore-Los Angeles flight that would include a stopover in Taiwan so that they could be arrested by the Taiwan authorities.
The couple first agreed to take the 8 a.m. flight back to Los Angeles. However, they changed mind later and refused to cooperate. They demanded to return to the United States on a direct flight to Los Angeles.
The Singapore Airline jet took off without them after a delay of two and half hours at Changi International Airport.
There were reports that Wang had received tips about his imminent arrest upon arrival at the Taiwan Taoyuan International Airport, prompting him to change his mind at the last minute.
Officials denied that Wang had contacted anyone in the process. But they decided to conduct a probe concerning any possible passing of warning to Wang.
Wang and his wife eventually boarded a 4 p.m. Singapore Airlines flight back to Los Angeles.
The Wangs still own a bank, a luxury residence, and other assets in California.
The Immigration & Checkpoints Authority, Singapore's immigration body explained in a statement, Wang's travel document was "not in order."
"In accordance with normal procedure for such cases, ICA is putting Wang on a flight returning him to his last port of embarkation," it said.
The MOFA spokesman said officials posted in Los Angeles will continue negotiating with the U.S. authorities to deny Wang's entry and seek the couple's extradition to Taiwan.
However, as Wang's wife Wang Chin Shyh-ying holds a U.S. passport and Wang reportedly has a valid U.S. green card, the U.S. government might allow Wang to enter the country based on "humanitarian reasons," other officials said.
The Taipei District Prosecutors' Office formally accused the couple Jan. 12 of violating the Securities Transaction Act and breach of trust over their role in a series of financial scandals within the Rebar group.
The couple, who fled to China immediately before the scandals broke and later flew to the United States, was put on a most wanted list Jan. 15.
The scandals came to light early last month after the Rebar group's China Rebar Co. and Chia Hsin Food & Synthetic Fiber Co. applied for insolvency restructuring, triggering a massive run on The Chinese Bank, another Rebar affiliate.
The Wangs allegedly embezzled billions of dollars in corporate funds before sneaking out of the country.
Legislator Wang Jin-pyng, speaker of the Legislative Yuan, confirmed yesterday that Wang did called on him on Dec. 29, just one day before absconding to China.
He said that parliament is a public organization and anyone can simply drop in and pay a visit to any lawmakers.
