Special Investigation Panel (SIP) Spokesman Chen Yun-nan (陳雲南), of the Supreme Prosecutors Office, confirmed yesterday that former first lady Wu Shu-jen (吳淑珍) submitted a document to prosecutors last week but denied the document was related to a plea bargain.
“She presented us with facts pertinent to our investigation,” Chen said. “She was not admitting to any crimes in return for a potentially shorter sentence.”
Citing a gag order, Chen declined to elaborate on the contents of the document.
“I cannot tell you what the document was related to. But I assure you that the former first lady was not admitting to anything,” Chen said.
Wu is scheduled for a two-day pre-trial hearing today and tomorrow.
The SIP indicted Wu and her husband, former president Chen Shui-bian (陳水扁), on Dec. 12 on charges of money laundering, corruption and forgery. They stand accused of embezzling NT$104 million (US$3 million) from a special presidential fund.
They are also accused of accepting NT$100 million in bribes and US$6 million in connection with a land procurement deal, as well as US$2.73 million in kickbacks to help a contractor win the tender for a government construction project.
The wheelchair-bound Wu was originally indicted on Nov. 3, 2006, for using other people’s receipts to claim NT$14.8 million in reimbursements from the president’s “special state affairs” fund between 2002 and 2006, but has missed many hearings in the case because of poor health.
Physicians and nurses from National Taiwan University Hospital will be standing by to attend to her during the hearings today and tomorrow.
Meanwhile, Chen Shui-bian will face another forgery lawsuit in addition to his other charges after the Central Election Commission (CEC) yesterday filed a suit against him at the Taipei District Prosecutors’ Office. Taipei District Prosecutors’ Office Spokesman Lin Chin-chun (林錦村) confirmed that the CEC had brought the lawsuit and that prosecutors would begin investigating the case shortly.
Lin said that the CEC had filed the suit against the former president because it had discovered that Chen Shui-bian did not honestly report his election funds during the 2004 presidential election.
The false information Chen filed to the CEC caused the commission to release inaccurate background information on candidates.
Lin, however, would not comment on the case in addition to confirming it.
Four factors led to the declaration of a typhoon day and the cancelation of classes yesterday, Taipei Mayor Chiang Wan-an (蔣萬安) said. Work and classes were canceled across Taiwan yesterday as Typhoon Krathon was forecast to make landfall in the southern part of the country. However, northern Taiwan had only heavy winds during the day and rain in the evening, leading some to criticize the cancelation. Speaking at a Taipei City Council meeting yesterday, Chiang said the decision was made due to the possibility of landslides and other problems in mountainous areas, the need to avoid a potentially dangerous commute for those
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SEMICONDUCTORS: TSMC is able to produce 2-nanometer chips and mass production is expected to be launched by next year, the company said In leading-edge semiconductor manufacturing China is behind Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Co (TSMC) by at least 10 years as the Taiwanese chipmaker’s manufacturing process has progressed to 2 nanometers, National Science and Technology Council (NSTC) Minister Wu Cheng-wen (吳誠文) said yesterday. Wu made the remarks during a meeting of the Legislative Yuan’s Education and Culture Committee when asked by Democratic Progressive Party Legislator Wu Pei-yi (吳沛憶) about a report published in August by the Chinese version of Nikkei Asia that said Taiwan’s lead over China in chip manufacturing was only three years. She asked Wu Cheng-wen if the report was an accurate
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