|
Security services for Chen end
FADING FAST:The former president lost his sole security
officer, who also served as his liaison at the detetion center, and the future
operation of his office is up in the air
By Vincent Y. Chao / Staff Reporter, with CNA
Security services for detained former president Chen Shui-bian (陳水扁) were
stopped following the final verdict handed down by the Supreme Court on
Thursday, which convicted him on charges of bribery related to a land
procurement deal concerning the Hsinchu Science Park and an appointment at the
Taipei Financial Center Corp.
Chen, who has been kept behind bars since December 2008 on graft charges, saw
his pension and office allowances suspended on Sept. 1, when the revised Act
Governing Preferential Treatment for Retired Presidents and Vice Presidents
(卸任總統副總統禮遇條例) took effect.
The amended law stipulates that privileges should be suspended once a former top
leader is convicted of corruption, insurgency or treason in a first trial and
that a former leader will be denied any special privileges for the rest of his
life once convicted of corruption in a final trial.
The National Security Bureau (NSB) previously had one security officer deployed
at the Taipei Detention Center in Taipei County, serving as Chen’s liaison, with
another two to three officers assigned to protect Chen’s safety when he attends
court hearings.
Officials said the bureau discontinued all security -services for Chen at 9pm on
Thursday after it received formal notice of Chen’s conviction in the final
trial.
At a separate setting yesterday, Chen Sung-shan (陳淞山), the former president’s
office manager, said Chen Shui-bian’s office would continue normal operations,
at least until early next year.
“We weren’t expecting the -ruling to come so soon, but we will have no problems
until next January,” he said.
Operation of the office, which is responsible for handling the former
president’s affairs, including the release of his books and statements, had been
thrown into jeopardy after the revision to the Act Governing Preferential
-Treatment for Retired Presidents and Vice Presidents.
Prior to the amendment, Chen Shui-bian received a NT$250,000 (US$8,275) monthly
pension from the Presidential Office, and between NT$5 million and NT$8 million
in subsidies for his office and assistants. He was also previously guarded by
between eight and 12 government bodyguards.
Chen Sung-shan said that since the amendment, the office has been surviving off
donations from supporters, and that it had collected about NT$3 million in
September and last month. In addition, rent for the office — totaling about
NT$40,000 a month — has been paid until the end of the year.
“We aren’t worried,” Chen Sung-shan said. “We still have our supporters and
donations have kept on coming in ... We will be here for Chen Shui-bian as long
as we can.”
|
