Yeh tipped Chen on probe

Prosecutors in charge of the case found that the IB had long possessed information about the ex-first family's possible money-laundering operations.

However, the relevant documents went missing after being presented to Yeh by IB staff.

Prosecutors found only a copy of related documents during a search of his residence. Yeh refused to reveal where the original copies were until yesterday.

Yeh decided to tell the truth -- that he had handed the original documents to Chen after being contacted by Hsu Lu, a once popular Peking opera diva and wife of the late Shen Ji-yueh, a highly respected former chief of the IB.

He also made another apology for bringing disgrace to all staff of the bureau.

Chen's office issued a statement after Yeh held the press conference yeterday.

'Not standard channel'

In an attempt to absolve himself in the scandal, Chen said that he did not withhold any information because the documents given by Yeh "were not submitted via the standard channel."

But Chen, a lawyer by training, did not say where the original documents are now.

Chen's statement was released as he held a surprise meeting with Chiou I-jen, a former vice premier and secretary general of the National Security Council. Chiou is presently under probe for the disappearance of NT$1 billion in public funds in an allegedly bungled plan to seek diplomatic ties with Papua New Guinea.

Chen also denied all the alegations that his family have engaged in corruption or money-laundering activity.

Chen, his wife and several close aides were indicted in a separate case on charges of corruption and forgery, after they were found to have used invoices or receipts from other people to claim NT$14.8 million from a special "state affairs fund" that can only be used by the president for public purposes.

The case was stalled after former first lady Wu Shu-chen failed to appear at the Taipei District Court 16 times since 2007, on grounds of frail health condition.

In the latest development, the court had sent Wu the 17th notice for her to appear at the court on Sept. 19.



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