Taiwanese prosecutors have charged the island's vice-president and two other senior officials of corruption and document forgery but spared the ruling party's presidential and vice-presidential candidates.
After a closely watched investigation into alleged misuse of funds by five heavyweights of the ruling Democratic Progressive Party, prosecutors yesterday cleared DPP presidential candidate Frank Hsieh Chang-ting and his running mate, Su Tseng-chang, of corruption allegations for lack of evidence.
But Vice-President Annette Lu Hsiu-lien, DPP chairman Yu Shyi-kun and National Security Council secretary general Mark Chen Tan-sun were indicted for allegedly using receipts provided by others to make spending claims from the controversial special monthly allowances set aside for them for public use.
Prosecutor Chen Yun-nan, the spokesman for the Special Investigation Taskforce, said Lu had allegedly made false claims worth NT$5.63 million (HK$1.33 million) between December 2000 and May 2006 during her time as vice-president.
He said Yu had allegedly made false claims worth NT$2.38 million between October 2000 and December 2005 during his time as secretary general of the Presidential Office and premier.
Mark Chen allegedly made false claims of NT$368,199 between July 2004 and June 2006 during his terms as foreign minister and presidential secretary general.