Wu admits bookkeeper gave her money from state fund

At the Taipei district court, Wu changed her previous statement that Chen had never given her any part of the public fund under her husband's control for the conduct of “affairs of state.”

She also admitted the bookkeeper had submitted the state affairs fund ledger to her for examination. While under investigation and at her pretrial hearings, she stated Chen had never let her see the ledger.

Presiding judge Tsai Shou-hsun asked why she disavowed her previous statements, which Chen said were untrue and for which the bookkeeper demanded a cross-examination in court.

“I was under treatment for a nervous breakdown at the time I made the previous statements,” Wu said. “I was given a couple of shots and my head wasn't quite clear, not to mention my blood pressure was very low,” she added.

As a matter of fact, Wu went on, she couldn't even remember the names of prosecutors who asked her questions.

Wu was indicted on November 3, 2006, charged with borrowing receipts and invoices from friends and relatives to claim a NT$14.8 million reimbursement from the state affairs fund.

President Chen Shui-bian wasn't indicted along with her, for he was immune to prosecution at the time, but was regarded as an unindicted co-defendant who would be formally charged upon leaving office.

He stepped down on May 20 last year. Special Counsel prosecutors investigated him and found he and his wife had laundered at least NT$1.5 billion in banks abroad, two of them in Switzerland.

But Wu denied the corruption and money laundry charges.

“Yes,” she told Tsai, “I received money from Chen Chen-hui, but all the money I received I gave to my husband, who used it for the conduct of affairs of state.”

Confronting the bookkeeper in court, Wu admitted Ma Yung-cheng told Chen to collect invoices and receipts. But she insisted that she did not ask Ma, chief of President Chen's Secretariat and supervisor of the bookkeeper, to order the collection.

“In fact,” Wu said, “Ma actually suggested that President Chen take responsibility for that. My husband didn't comply.”

Where did Wu keep all the money the bookkeeper gave her?

“Well,” Wu replied, “there are two safes, one in President Chen's office and the other at our residence. Each can easily hold at least NT$10 million.”

1|2|Next Page>>

SharePrintEmail

Write a Comment

Terms

Enter your comments - 3000 characters max

Type in image code

Submit

 Receive China Post promos
 Respond to this email