Advertisement

Chen cites fellow leaders in tussle with prosecutors

Reading Time:3 minutes
Why you can trust SCMP

I did nothing Lee and Ma didn't do, says ex-Taiwanese president

Advertisement

Former Taiwanese president Chen Shui-bian has denied embezzling at least NT$14.8 million (HK$3.64 million) in special state funds and wiring it abroad, and has tried to drag his successor and his predecessor into the fray.

Analysts said they saw Mr Chen's bid to implicate President Ma Ying-jeou and his citing of Mr Chen's predecessor, Lee Teng-hui, as his way of signalling that he was being persecuted in a political witch-hunt.

Mr Chen was questioned by prosecutors for more than four hours yesterday over his alleged role in the scandal, for which his wife, Wu Shu-chen, is being tried. The trial has been suspended as Wu has called in sick 17 times since it began.

Hours later, he denied any wrongdoing, claiming prosecutors were unfair to accuse him of embezzling special state funds between May 2000 and August 2006, while he was president.

Advertisement

He cited a case in which Mr Ma was tried on charges similar to the allegations against him.

loading
Advertisement