Ma brothers questioned over ‘cash’ for Chen Shui-bian

Ma Wei-chen and Ma Wei-chien, Yuanta general manager and managing director, denied involvement in the snow-balling money laundry scandal incriminating the former president and his wife.

Altogether NT$700 million (US$23 million) is alleged to have been stashed away by President Chen and his wife Wu Shu-chen. Their son Chih-chung is suspected of coordinating the remission of the slush fund abroad.

Two Yuanta managers were also summoned to testify by Special Counsel prosecutors who are finding out whether Ma Wei-chen remitted at least US$190,000 abroad to credit a secret account of Wu Ching-mao, Mrs. Chen's brother.

Wu was arrested last week for involvement in the money laundering and has since been detained for further questioning.

Prosecutors directed questions to Ma Wei-chen's cash remission, which was confirmed by Tsai Ming-cheh, the former first lady's special assistant.

Tsai, under detention also on money laundering charges since last week, told prosecutors Ma Wei-chen remitted the money by order of Mrs. Chen Shui-bian in 2005, when her son Chen Chih-chung got married.

It's possible that Ma Wei-chen told prosecutors the cash was intended as a "wedding present" to Chen Chih-chung, court source said.

"That could get Ma Wei-chen off the hook," one source pointed out. "Or at least he could claim innocence," he said.

The Special Counsel, set up in 2006 to investigate high-level government corruption, is likely to subpoena Ma Chih-ling, father of the Ma brothers and head of the Yuanta group, sources said.

"Of course," another source said, "prosecutors want to know if anything was wrong with the Yuanta takeover of the Fuhwa Financial Holding Company."

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