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LAFAYETTE SCANDAL SUSPECT CITES FRENCH REPORT TO PROCLAIM INNOCENCE

ROC Central News Agency

2005-11-29 17:33:46

    Taipei, Nov. 29 (CNA) Andrew Wang, who is on Taiwan's most-wanted list for his alleged role in the Lafayette frigates kickback scandal, thought he had a new ally, a French newspaper, to prove his innocence when he shared its report with Taiwan's media late Monday.

    Via fax, Wang, who is said to be in the United Kingdom, cited a report by Le Monde as saying that the Swiss information sent to the French prosecution shows no evidence of any Taiwan or French officials having taken any kickback money from him. "So the French prosecutors have proved that it is totally wrong to say Andrew Wang is the dispenser of the alleged kickbacks, " he said. "Where is the proof that I transmitted US$40 million back to Taiwan? Where is the proof that I sent US$60 million to senior Taiwan government officials and military officers from my 'secret overseas bank accounts'?" he asked.

    Claiming that he is a "patriotic businessman" who secured a good arms deal for the country when it was almost impossible to get one elsewhere in the world, he said, "What's wrong with a businessman getting his due after completing a deal?"

    He advised the media and the public not to assume that something unseemly must have happened because a huge sum of money was involved.

    Wang also expressed his disgruntlement about some lawmakers using their so-called privilege of immunity and unauthorized "secret files" to make false accusations against him, claiming that he reserves the right to sue anyone who makes untrue statements or reports about him.

    At the legislature, Premier Frank Hsieh urged Wang to send a copy of his fax to the government to facilitate an ad hoc team's investigation.

    Hsieh said the investigative team has begun reading six boxes of data provided by Swiss authorities, including audio and video tapes. The investigators will study every item carefully, he added.

    The Nov. 18 edition of Le Monde did not quote any prosecutor or judge to support Wang's claims, according to a CNA report from Paris Monday.

    Switzerland's investigation results, which have been sent to French judges, indicate that almost all of the US$700 million in Wang's frozen accounts remain there.

    Le Monde mentioned "several relatively small remittances" from Wang's Swiss accounts, including US$17 million sent between 1991 and 1993 to former ROC Navy Captain Kuo Li-heng, and US$150,000 that was sent to a person named E. Leandry, who in 1994 tried to acquire forged passports for Wang and his family members.

    The French newspaper said no evidence from Wang's Swiss bank accounts shows any remittance to France. It speculated that some kickback money had been sent from Wang's other bank accounts in "tax haven" countries that have not yet caught the attention of French judges.

(By S.C. Chang)

ENDITEM/mw