March 23, 2000 --- Elmer Fung and Hsieh Chi-ta
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Elmer Fung and Hsieh Chi-ta

Rumor was spreading to whole island by supports of “Soong’s camp”.  

March 23, 2000 ---
The Presidential Official yesterday rebuffed the allegations that first lady Tseng Wen-hui had flown to the U.S. with jewelry and U.S. bills worth over US$85 million following the presidential election.

Both President Lee Teng-hui and his family members did not go abroad recently, and the baseless allegations were produced by people with “suspicious” intentions, the presidential office said in a news letter.

The Presidential Office also urged investigators to look into the case to avoid possible domestic turbulence.

A number of New Party heavyweights, including Elmer Fung and Hsieh Chi-ta, both lawmakers, had accused President Lee Teng-hui, who is also the Kuomintang’s chairman, of embezzling the ruling party’s assets and trying to transport them to the United States.

In a news conference yesterday morning, Fung alleged that the first lady had taken EVA Airways to the U.S. on March 19 along with 54 boxes of U.S. bills and jewelry worth US$85 million.

Fung said that the money was returned to Taiwan by American authorities via China Airlines, but the lawmaker failed to identify whether Tseng is in Taiwan.

In response, Tseng appeared in public yesterday afternoon while playing golf in Linkuo, with her daughter vowing to take legal actions against the accusers.

Both the EVA and China airlines denied Fung’s story, according to the United Evening News.

In accordance with American laws, each international passenger is allowed to enter the U.S. with only US$10,000, and those who violate the law will have their extra money confiscated, Fung said.

But the 54 boxes of bills were left untouched and were returned to Taiwan on March 21 because American authorities knew the source of the money, Fung said.

Fung, who was the New Party’s vice-president candidate during the past election, said he had obtained the information via Tai Chi, an overseas Chinese with New Party membership.

Tai voiced to tell the story via an international phone call during Fung’s news conference yesterday, saying that he had confirmed the story from American customs, as well as staff members of the company responsible for transporting Tseng’s “luggage.”

But both Taiwan and American immigration bureaus yesterday denied any recent records of Tseng yesterday, according to the United Evening News.

The Ministry of Finance yesterday issued a news letter to rebuke Fung’s accusation, saying that there was no company or person delivering U.S. bills out of the island on March 21 and 22.

Two American banks transferred U.S. bills to their branches in Taiwan during the two days, but the transactions had nothing to do with Tseng, the ministry said.

We don’t know what is the Soong’s fear and its camp’s wishes? Taiwan needs more and more supporters from democratic countries in the world. We should hope your help to achieve definite security of democratic system in Taiwan.