Chen family agrees to remission of Swiss money

But the lawyer said the ex-president’s son, Chen Chih-chung, and daughter-in-law Huang Jui-ching, did not sign any papers, fearing that that would be taken to mean their confessions to the crimes they were being accused of.

The couple only agreed to let prosecutors seek help from the Swiss authorities to have the money remitted back to Taiwan, the lawyer, Lin Chih-hao said.

The son made the promises after obtaining the approval of his mother, former first lady Wu Shu-chen, Lin said.

The junior Chen and his wife had previously signed papers authorizing prosecutors to look into their Swiss bank accounts.

But the lawyer maintained that previously signed papers have nothing to do with the couple’s promise to help transfer the money back.

The couple made the agreement while being questioned at their home in Taipei, the lawyer said, but Wu was not questioned this time.

Swiss authorities have frozen US$21 million in the Chen family’s accounts in Switzerland after suspecting that money laundering was involved.

The ex-president, who has been detained on money laundering charges, claims that the money is clean and comes from his campaign funds.

Chen Yun-nan, spokesman for the Special Investigation Division (SID) of the Supreme Court, said transferring the money back to Taiwan would be helpful for the investigation.

He said the Chen family agreed to have the money remitted to local accounts designated by prosecutors.

If the money is eventually proven clean, it will be returned to the Chen family, the spokesman said. But the sum will be confiscated if crimes are involved, he added.

The spokesman said although the money is in the son and daughter-in-law’s accounts, it actually belongs to Wu, and therefore prosecutors had to obtain her agreement to have it return to Taiwan.

Wu, her son and daughter-in-law remain suspects in the probe, but prosecutors have not sought to detain them.

While the former president remains in custody, several other suspects in his case have been released from detention.

A banker, Jeffrey Koo, Jr. of the Chinatrust Financial Holding, who is also being investigated in connection with the Chen case, was granted bail Tuesday after being questioned.

Koo, who returned to Taiwan to be questioned after hiding overseas for about two years, has also been given the freedom to leave the country.

Some lawmakers criticized prosecutors for having double standards in treating suspects.

Kuomintang Legislator Tsai Cheng-yuan said some other businessmen who have allegedly committed lesser crimes have been barred from leaving the country.

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