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High Court ruling expected soon on
Chen¡¦s detention
Staff Writer, with CNA
The Taiwan High Court will hand down a ruling before former president Chen
Shui-bian¡¦s (³¯¤ô«ó) current extension expires on Oct. 18 on whether Chen will
remain detained for two more months.
Chen has been held since Dec. 30, 2008, in connection with corruption and money
laundering charges. His detention was previously extended for three months in
July.
A hearing was held on Friday on whether to further extend Chen¡¦s detention. Chen
said in the hearing that he has been detained for 674 days and has said ¡§all he
has to say.¡¨
One should not assume that he has the ability to flee the country just because
he has been president, he added.
Chen said that presiding judge Teng Chen-chiu (¾H®¶²y) had said that if he remitted
all the money his family held overseas back to Taiwan, there would be a good
chance of him being released.
The former president said that he had remitted all US$18.43 million back. The
amount fell short of the US$21 million the prosecution alleged his family had
laundered through Swiss banks because of losses including processing fees and
charges for the early termination of investment contracts.
¡§If the judge still won¡¦t release me on bail now that I¡¦ve returned the money,
is he cheating me?¡¨ Chen asked.
After the hearing, Chen returned to the Taipei Detention Center.
Chen and his wife former first lady Wu Shu-jen (§d²Q¬Ã) were found guilty of
corruption, forgery and money-laundering in September last year and given life
sentences. The Taiwan High Court reduced the sentences to 20 years on June 11.
Chen, his wife and the Supreme Prosecutor Office¡¦s Special Investigation Panel,
which led the probe into the former president¡¦s cases, all appealed the verdict
to the Supreme Court.
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