Chen Chih-chung, the former first son and his wife Huang Jui-ching are scheduled to land at the Taiwan Taoyuan International Airport at around 6 a.m. today.

Speaking to reporters waiting at New Jersey's Newark Liberty International Airport before boarding Eva Air Flight BR031 Saturday night, Chen said he and his wife were returning to face the judiciary after they learned from the media that they have both been named as defendants by prosecutors in their probe into alleged money laundering operations involving their family.

Chen stressed that they are innocent because they knew nothing about the family's money transfer operations.

He also clarified that they had only a "dictated and directed role" in the whole matter.

"Ours are dummy (bank) accounts and we are controlled and instructed," Chen added.

For her part, Huang said it was "too far-fetched" to name them as defendants in the case.

Only after she arrived in the United States Aug. 9 with her husband did she become aware that she had been used as a "figurehead" to open accounts at two banks in Switzerland for massive cash deposits, she explained.

'Cooperation'

"We will give cooperation in the investigation to prove our innocence," Huang said.

Chen Chih-chung confirmed that he did register at the law school of the University of Virginia Aug. 11 as scheduled, but had not completed the enrollment procedures nor taken part in the orientation.

"The school authorities told me to 'come back next year' because they had 'received some information,'" he told the reporters without elaboration.

President Chen made a public apology two weeks ago for "having done something not permitted by the law" when confirming publicly two weeks earlier that his family had maintained a large sum of money in Huang's bank accounts in Switzerland.

It turned out that more than US$20 million had been deposited in Huang's bank accounts in Singapore and was later transferred to accounts in Switzerland with her husband, Chen's son, holding power of attorney.

The former president explained that the money came from the remainder of his campaign funds from four election campaigns.

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