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Prosecutors appeal again on ex-president's release

ROC Central News Agency

Taipei, Dec. 25 (CNA) Prosecutors launched a new bid Thursday to detain former President Chen Shui-bian ahead of his trial on a raft of corruption charges.

Prosecutors with the Special Investigation Division (SID) under the Supreme Prosecutors Office launched the bid by re-appealing to the Taiwan High Court against the Taipei District Court's Dec. 18 decision to release Chen on his own recognizance.

It marked the second time the district court had rejected prosecutors' request that Chen continue to be detained after he was indicted Dec. 12 on charges of embezzling government funds and laundering money.

In their Thursday appeal for Chen's detention, prosecutors said they believe Chen might flee Taiwan and conspire with witnesses to tamper with or destroy evidence if he remains free.

Although National Security Bureau (NSB) personnel are obliged to escort Chen all day long to protect him, the prosecutors argued that such an escort is not compulsory and that Chen can easily dodge them.

For instance, prosecutors argued, Chen answered SID subpoenas July 24 and Aug. 15 in the company of staff members of his office instead of NSB bodyguards.

The prosecutors asked the Taiwan High Court to hand down a ruling on their appeal instead of sending the case back to the district court as it did when it dealt with their previous appeal.

The high court was expected to make a decision on the appeal the following day.

In its Dec. 13 ruling, the court ordered that Chen, who was taken into custody by prosecutors Nov. 12, be released without bail following his indictment along with 13 other people on charges of embezzlement, corruption and money laundering. He is Taiwan's first former president to face criminal prosecution.

Chen and his wife are accused of siphoning off NT$104 million (US$3.12 million) from a special Presidential Office discretionary fund during his presidency from 2000 to 2008.

They are also charged with accepting bribes worth NT$100 million and NT$200 million in connection with a land procurement deal and another NT$90.93 million in kickbacks to help a contractor win the tender for a government construction project, according to the indictment. (By Sofia Wu) ENDITEM/J