Breaking News, World News and Taiwan News.

Updated Wednesday, December 10, 2008 9:27 am TWN, The China Post news staff



	Ma Yung-cheng, former deputy secretary-general to President Chen Shui-bian, leaves a Taipei courthouse. He was released on bail yesterday. (CNA) Enlarge Photo

Sponsors
▪	Save 75% for all hotels in Shanghai, Beijing and whole China. Lowest rates for Flights in China.
▪	Get the best deals for Guangzhou Hotels or choose from more than 10,000 hotels in 499 Chinese cities.
▪	Find great real time deals on China Flights. Book flights to China or China domestic flights 24/7.
▪	Buy china wholesale products from reliable chinese wholesalers on DHgate.com!

Chen’s former aide released on bail

TAIPEI, Taiwan -- Ma Yung-cheng, former deputy secretary-general to President Chen Shui-bian, was released on bail yesterday.

The bail was set at NT$500,000 for Ma, who was arrested on charges of “illegally seizing public property” on November 4, and has since been held incommunicado at the Taipei detention house.

Prosecutors of the Special Counsel asked the Taipei district court to terminate Ma’s detention. They said there was no need to detain him any longer.

He was taken into custody because the charges pressed against him entail a prison term of more than five years, if convicted.

As chief of Chen’s secretariat, Ma oversaw the use of a public fund under the president’s control for the conduct of “affairs of state” from 2000 to 2005.

In the end, Special Counsel prosecutors found altogether NT$50 million of the state affairs fund was misused. Most of the money was then laundered.

Former first lady Wu Shu-chen, who is standing trial for corruption, is involved in the misuse of the fund as well as money laundering. So is her husband.

She was indicted on November 3, 2006 on charges of borrowing receipts and invoices from friends and relatives to claim NT$14.8 million in reimbursement from the fund. Ma was indicted along with her for forgery.

Her husband was not indicted, however. He was immune to prosecution then, but was regarded as an unindicted co-defendant who would be formally charged on leaving office, on May 20.

Chen Shui-bian was arrested Nov. 12, charged with forgery, corruption and money laundering, and has since been held at the Taipei County detention house at Tucheng.

More than US$300 million is believed to have been laundered. Only US$22 million was deposited at Swiss banks. The rest is said to be laundered in Japan and the United States.

The release of Ma on bail seems to indicate the Special Counsel is now ready to indict the former president.

Ma left the Taipei courthouse on posting the bail shortly after 6 p.m. He refused comment upon his release.

Subscribe to The China Post and save 25%. Click here