People First Party Legislator Chin Huei-chu (秦慧珠) made public yesterday more "evidence" to back up her allegation that President Chen Shui-bian (陳水扁) was in cahoots with China, despite open questioning of her sanity by colleagues.
After accusing Chen of accepting an NT$140 million campaign contribution from Chinese President Jiang Zemin (
According to Chin, who based her allegation on a pile of documents that she claimed had been verified again and again, Jiang had offered Chen a 5 percent share of three US-China-backed semiconductor fabs. In addition, the Chinese president offered Chen another 5 percent share of a petrochemical complex that the Formosa Plastics Group (
In another part of the story, Chin also said that two people arrested by Chinese authorities for stealing the secret documents had been killed on Tuesday, the first day she made public these materials.
Officials at the Presidential Office, who have denied Chin's allegations before, yesterday said the charges deserve no attention at all.
"Her [Chin's] remarks are so illogical that not even high school students will believe in it," said Yu Shyi-kun, secretary-general to the Presidential Office.
Some DPP politicians said Chin has "lost her mind."
"I think she is sick in a very serious way," DPP Legislator Tsai Huang-liang (
Chin yesterday insisted that all the documents -- including letters allegedly sent by Chen to Jiang, a receipt and agreements signed between them -- were authentic.
"Some high-ranking officials at investigation agencies have told me in private that the materials are all authentic. But they dare not take any action, because it is the head of state whom they are facing," Chin said.
Chin said she had also checked with national security agencies, and was told that they do not conduct surveillance on the president.
"The president is the most powerful leader in the country who controls the executive, judicial and intelligence system. No law will reach the president under these circumstances," Chin argued.
Chin compared this case to another one in which former president Lee Teng-hui (
"If the KMT and the communists had not admitted it, the media would have had no idea as to what to believe. The key factor is whether the people in power are willing to admit it," Chin said.
On public doubts as to why China would opt to support a presidential candidate from the pro-independence DPP in the first place, Chin said this was because of the strong recommendation of Formosa Chairman Wang Yung-ching (王永慶) and his son, Winston Wang (王文洋).
"But up until today, Chinese authorities don't trust Chen 100 percent. This was also the reason why they kept making Chen sign agreements and guarantee documents, which have become tools to secure their control over Chen," Chin said.
Chin has alleged that the father and son had acted as secret cross-strait envoys for Chen. Winston Wang has filed slander charges against Chin over the allegation.
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