Ex-President Chen indicted for graft, money laundering

TAIPEI, Taiwan -- Former President Chen Shui-bian, known as a firebrand corruption fighter before election, was indicted for forgery, graft and money laundering yesterday.

Prosecutors of the Special Counsel demanded "severest possible punishment" for the "very serious crimes" Chen committed in the eight years he ruled Taiwan.

Altogether NT$490 million (US$15 million) was stolen and laundered at banks abroad, including two in Switzerland.

Chen Yun-nan, spokesman for the Special Counsel, said the prosecution did not demand an exact sentence for the ex-president in line with a Ministry of Justice order that such demand has to be made in trial.

"He as president swore that he would observe the Constitution, faithfully perform his duties, promote the welfare of the people, safeguard the security of the state and would in no way betray the people's trust," the Special Counsel prosecutor in chief said.

"Moreover," he went on, "President Chen swore that should he break his oath, he would be willing to submit himself to severe punishment by the state.

"Only severest punishment should be meted out."

President Chen was arraigned before judges at the Taipei district court, where he claimed innocence and protested the political persecution against him.

No dates have been set for the trial of the century. Chen Shui-bian is the first ex-president to be tried for corruption in Taiwan's brief history.

Also indicted were former first lady Wu Shu-chen, her son Chen Chih-chung and his wife Huang Jui-ching as well as other relatives, friends and top assistants.

The ex-president was charged with money laundering, misuse of a public fund under his control for the conduct of "affairs of state" and an unlawful government purchase of land for a science-based industrial park at Longtan near Hsinchu.

Wu Shu-chen, who is standing trial for corruption in connection with the state affairs fund scandal, was accused of money laundering as well as an illegal contract awarding for construction of the Nankang Exhibition Hall.

Her son and daughter-in-law were indicted for money laundering.

All three of them, Chen Yun-nan said, have shown no repentance for the serious crimes they have committed. "For that," he pointed out, "the court should mete out harsh punishment."

Money laundering alone is punishable by a prison term of no less than ten years.

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