TAIWAN’S DEFIANT former president Chen Shui-bian went on trial on corruption charges yesterday, angrily proclaiming his innocence and accusing the new government of persecuting him to curry favour with rival China.
Mr Chen (58) faces possible life imprisonment if convicted on charges of embezzling T$104 million (€2.3 million) from a special presidential fund, receiving bribes worth €7 million in connection with a government land deal and laundering part of the funds by wiring the money to Swiss bank accounts.
He is also charged with taking millions in kickbacks relating to government building contracts.
He says the charges are politically motivated and have been brought by the China-friendly government of President Ma Ying-jeou to punish him for his pro-independence and anti-China views.
“The special prosecutor has invested its full force in investigating the former president,” Mr Chen’s foundation said in a statement. “But the outside world has never seen any action on the numerous cases involving Ma Ying-jeou.”
Mr Chen is loathed by Beijing for threatening to declare independence for the island that China considers part of its territory.
Since Mr Ma took office last May after Mr Chen’s party was defeated in the polls, he has set aside the former president’s pro-independence policies and moved to improve relations with Beijing, a stance that has riled many in the pro-independence camp.
There are also ongoing investigations into a case involving €16 million in campaign funding wired by his wife Wu Shu-chen to Swiss bank accounts belonging to his daughter-in-law.
Mr Chen and his wife, along with their son and daughter-in-law, were indicted on December 12th for corruption, forgery, embezzlement and money laundering while he was president. Ms Wu has pleaded guilty to forgery and money laundering. Mr Chen is the first Taiwan leader to be prosecuted after leaving office.
The couple resigned from the Democratic Progressive Party in August 2008, after he admitted failing to declare campaign funds, and that his wife had wired money abroad without his knowledge.
Mr Chen’s presidency was dogged by corruption allegations. His son-in-law was arrested and convicted for insider trading, and Mr Chen has admitted to submitting falsified expense forms while in office, although he said the money was used for “secret diplomatic missions”.