Lawyer Chang Hsiu of Taiwanese national Ching Chi-jiu said in Los Angeles that his client will personally hold a news conference in Los Angeles prior to May 20, when the outgoing Democratic Progressive Party (DPP) administration steps down, to provide a clear picture of what really happened.

Ching will specifically explain to the media about where the money paid out by the Ministry of Foreign Affairs (MOFA) for the purpose of reviving Taiwan's formal ties with Papua New Guinea (PNG) has ended up, including who received funds and in what amounts.

Lawyer Chang said that Ching is willing to return to Taiwan to help with the investigation. But Ching's top concern now is his personal safety. Ching said he will not take the trip back to Taiwan if there is a chance that he would be taken into custody by the authorities.

There were reports that overseas Chinese gangsters in the U.S. have put a contract on Ching after his involvement in the scandal and the huge sum of money was exposed.

But Ching feels he was entitled to being paid what he deserved for his efforts as a middleman in brokering a deal to help the DPP administration re-establish Taiwan's diplomatic relations with PNG, and did not pocket any funds not intended for him, his lawyer said.

Chang added that DPP authorities would not be able to recover the entire US$29.8 million remitted to a joint account held in Singapore by Ching and another middleman involved in the deal, Wu Shih-tsai.

"I think that it would be impossible because a big chunk of the fund was already paid to Papua New Guinea officials (to facilitate talks on establishing ties) and another portion was earmarked to Ching and Wu as rewards for their efforts," the lawyer said.

According to Chang, Ching insisted he was entitled to a commission because he had done his part as a middleman and that it was DPP officials who opted not to sign a communique with PNG representatives on a possible establishment of diplomatic ties.

Ching, who also holds the U.S. citizenship, allegedly made off with the US$29.8 million originally intended as monetary aid for the South Pacific country.

The sum was remitted Sept. 14, 2006, by Taiwan's MOFA at an order of Chang Chiang-sheng, one of Foreign Minister James Huang's aides, into an account jointly held by Ching and Wu in Singapore's OCBC bank.

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