Tweet
Reporing
REPORTING
NAME :- BRIJESH . SHAH
TOPIC :- CHEN SHUI BIAN SCANDAL
CONTENT
1. CHEN SHUI BIAN
2. CHEN SHUI BIAN SCANDAL
3. DETAILS
4. HIS CORRUPTION IN DETAIL
5. HIS ARREST ON SUSPICION OF MONEY LAUNDERING
6. HIS HUNGER STRIKE
7. HIS RELEASE WITHOUT BAIL
8. TERMS OF IMPRISONMENT
9. TRANSCRIPT OF CHEN SHUI-BIAN SCANDAL
ACKNOWLEDGEMENT
We take this opportunity to express our profound gratitude and deep regards to SAGAR SIR for his exemplary guidance, monitoring and constant encouragement throughout the course of this thesis. The blessing, help and guidance given by him time to time shall carry me a long way in the journey of life on which I am about to embark.
-BRIJESH.SHAH
INTRODUCTION
CHEN SHUI BIAN :-
Chen shui bian is a former Taiwanese politician who was president from 2000 to 2008. Chen's election ended more than fifty years of Kuomintang control of the Executive Yuan in Taiwan. A native-born Taiwanese, he is colloquially referred to as A-Bian.
A lawyer, Chen entered politics in 1980 during the Kaohsiung Incident as a member of the Tangwai movement and was elected to the Taipei City Council in 1981. He was jailed in 1985 for libel as the editor of the weekly pro-democracy magazine Neo-Formosa, following publication of an article critical of Elmer Feng , a college philosophy professor who was later elected a Kuomintang legislator. After being released, Chen helped found the Democratic Progressive Party (DPP) in 1986 and was elected a member of the Legislative Yuan in 1989, and Mayor of Taipei in 1994.
Chen won the 2000 presidential election on March 18 with 39% of the vote as a result of a split of factions within the Kuomintang, when James Soong ran for the presidency as an independent against the party nominee Lien Chan, becoming the only non-member of the Kuomintang to hold the office of president. Although Chen received high approval ratings during the first few weeks of his term, his popularity sharply dropped due to alleged corruption within his administration and the inability to pass legislation against the opposition KMT, who controlled the Legislative Yuan. In 2004, he won reelection by a narrow margin after surviving a shooting while campaigning the day before the election. Opponents suspected him of staging the incident for political purposes. However, the case was officially closed in 2005 with all evidence pointing to a single deceased suspect, Chen Yi-hsiung.
Convicted, along with his wife Wu Shu-chen, on two bribery charges, he is currently serving a 19-year sentence in Taipei Prison, reduced from a life sentence. Supporters have insisted that his trial was an unfair and politically motivated retribution by the Kuomintang for his years in power.
CHEN SHUI BIAN SCANDAL :
Chen Shui-bian , former President of the Republic of China, stepped down on May 20, 2008, the same day that Ma Ying-jeou took office as the new President of the Republic of China Just one hour after he left the Presidential Office Building, as a former President of the Republic of China and no longer enjoying presidential immunity, he was controlled and limited from leaving the nation by Taiwanese prosecutors due to allegations of corruption and abuse of authority. Chen was accused of fraud in a case involving the handling of a special presidential fund used to pursue Taiwan's foreign diplomacy. However, “After more than five years of investigation by the [Special Investigation Division], it has dropped the case of money-laundering in Palau against the former president because it could not find any evidence of wrongdoing. But where is Chen Shui-bian? He has been in jail for nearly six years now. His mental condition and health are deteriorating, yet the government still refuses to grant him a medical parole."
President Ma Ying-jeou moved to declassify documents that will aid in the investigation of the former president's use of special expenses. President Ma was then swiftly sued by Chen's lawyers on August 6, 2008, calling Ma's declassification of case-aiding documents, "politically motivated." The documents which were sought were classified earlier by Chen. The documents are mostly receipts and records of use of special expenses .
Chen claims that the money was wired overseas by his wife and without his knowing. There is also an investigation launched by Swiss authorities over a Swiss bank account bearing Chen's daughter-in-law's name: roughly US$31 million were wired to the account from Taiwan and was then forwarded again to an account in the Cayman Islands. Swiss and Taiwan authorities are cooperating in investigating whether or not there are instances of money laundering committed by members of the former first family. It is unknown whether or not the wiring of the Swiss accounts and the wiring of campaign money overseas by Mrs. Chen are related.Chen and his wife are currently restricted from leaving Taiwan.
DETAILS
Chen Shui-bian was been barred from leaving the island and his office raided on money-laundering allegations implicating him and his family.
The coast guard confirmed that Chen was been barred by prosecutors from leaving the territory which he led for eight years.
Guard Administration spokesman Hsieh Ching-chin told AFP.
The move came after prosecutors separately searched Chen's office and residence in Taipei.
"We took away accounting books and computers which could help with clarifying the case," Chu Chao-liang, spokesman for the special investigation unit, told reporters.
Chen and his wife Wu Shu-chen were questioned Saturday by prosecutors over the money laundering charges against their family.
Chu said prosecutors did not use warrants as they were cooperative while the wheelchair-bound Wu wore a cast and appeared to be in poor health.
Wu claimed that the overseas funds came from her family, Chen's past income as a lawyer, his political donations and their investment proceeds, local newspapers said.
Taiwan launched a probe into the money laundering claims following similar moves by Swiss authorities.
Copies of Swiss documents obtained by Kuomintang lawmaker Hung Hsiu-chu showed that Chen's son Chen Chih-chung and daughter-in-law Huang Jui-ching transferred US$31 million to her Swiss bank accounts in 2007.
The ex-leader was already been questioned on Friday but requested "leaves of absence" for the young couple, whom he said were in the US for academic studies, Chu said.
Chen admitted that his wife was wired abroad US$20 million from his past campaign funds, saying she was done so without his knowledge.
He has denied money laundering.
However, nearly 68 percent of 1,012 people polled Saturday by the China Times said they did not trust Chen's arguments.
As many respondents said the image of the pro-independence opposition Democratic Progressive Party (DPP) was been severely tarnished although Chen quit the party one day after the scandal surfaced. The party was still reeling from its crushing defeat in the March presidential election and January parliamentary polls.
In an interview with a local cable news network Saturday, a heart-broken Ng Chiau-tong, a former advisor to Chen, called his former boss the "shame of Taiwan."
Chen, who rose to power with the nickname "Son of Taiwan" is already under investigation for allegedly embezzling NT$14.8 million (US$480,500) in special expenses from the government while he was president, and his wife is on trial for corruption and document forgery in the same case.
Chen has admitted using false receipts to claim money from the state, but insisted those funds were used for "secret diplomatic missions" and not his personal benefit.
Nevertheless, prosecutors found that at least NT$1.5 million was been spent on diamond rings and other luxury items for his wife.
A string of corruption scandals implicating Chen, his family and top DPP officials has tarnished the party's image and played a part in its defeat in the March presidential vote.
HIS CORRUPTION IN DETAIL
On August 14, 2008, shortly following rival party KMT legislator's press conference announcing the existence of a request for money laundering investigation assistance letter from the Swiss government, the former president called an evening press conference and admitted that his past election campaigns was misstated election finance expenses, and was leftover monies in campaign coffers forwarded to overseas accounts.
Chen claims that the money was wired overseas by his wife and without his knowing. There is also an investigation launched by Swiss authorities over a Swiss bank account bearing Chen's daughter-in-law's name: roughly US$31 million were wired to the account from Taiwan and was then forwarded again to an account in the Cayman Islands. Swiss and Taiwan authorities are cooperating in investigating whether or not there are instances of money laundering committed by members of the former first family. It is unknown whether or not the wiring of the Swiss accounts and the wiring of campaign money overseas by Mrs. Chen are related. Chen and his wife are currently restricted from leaving Taiwan.
Chen's August 14 admission was a reversal of his position just one day earlier, when he vehemently denied a Next Magazine report of the same story.
The following day, August 15, Chen announced that both he and his wife will leave the Democratic Progressive Party for good from the fallout of the previous day's admission.
Reaction to Chen's admission was negative. Former DPP chairman Shih Ming-teh (1994–96), claimed to have been eating while Chen called his press conference, and threw his chopsticks down in anger upon hearing his confession.
Chen Shui-bian and his wife Wu Shu-jen, on August 15, resigned from the Democratic Progressive Party and apologized, thus: “Today I have to say sorry to all of the DPP members and supporters. I let everyone down, caused you humiliation and failed to meet your expectations. My acts have caused irreparable damage to the party. I love the DPP deeply and am proud of being a DPP member. To express my deepest regrets to all DPP members and supporters, I announce my withdrawal from the DPP immediately. My wife Wu Shu-jen is also withdrawing from the party.” DPP Chairwoman Tsai Ing-wen also apologized to the public on behalf of the party: “In regard to Chen and his wife’s decision to withdraw from the party and his desire to shoulder responsibility for his actions as well as to undergo an investigation by the party’s anti-corruption committee, we respect his decision and accept it.” Taiwan prosecutors on August 16 interrogated Wu Shu-jen and asked her to explain overseas money transactions. A Kuomintang (KMT) party member alleged that Chen's wife bought jewelry to launder money. Hung Hsiu-chu, a member of the ruling KMT, charged that Chen's family opened four bank accounts in Switzerland, with total deposits of US$32 million, which Chen remitted through his daughter-in-law, Huang Jui-ching.
On August 17, Supreme Court Prosecutor's Office announced Taiwanese investigators took away boxes of documents, after search of Chen's home in Taipei City, his office, and in Tainan, at the home of his wife's brother Wu Ching-mao. Chen was prohibited by prosecutors from leaving Taiwan. Chen has (US?/NT?)$21 million at overseas banks held in the name of family members. Shih Ming-te, a former leader of Chen's Democratic Progressive Party accused Chen of laundering at least (US?/NT?)$85 million from an entrepreneur bidding for bank ownership in 2005. Coast Guard Administration spokesman Hsieh Ching-chin said: "We received the order from the special investigation unit around 9:20 p.m. last night saying former president Chen was barred from leaving the country." Chen's probe concerns NT$14.8 million (US$480,500) in special expenses from the government, while he was president, and his wife is on trial for corruption and document forgery. Prosecutors found at least NT$1.5 million was been spent on diamond rings and other luxury items for his wife. Upon his return to Taiwan, Chen's son claimed that he was a mere "figurehead," and was not directly involved in the transfer of money.
On October 31, 2008, Chiou I-jen was arrested and detained incommunicado, by Supreme Prosecutors Office's Special Investigation Division Prosecutors, for alleged embezzlemen of about US$500,000 (£308,000) from diplomatic funds, in 2004, as secretary-general of the National Security Council. Chen Shui-bian called his arrest a "political persecution" by the Beijing-friendly Kuomintang government amid and after another senior DPP member -- ChiayiCounty magistrate Chen Ming-wen's detention on corruption charges: "The government abused the laws and its powers to persecute and humiliate us but the people and the history will return justice to us and prove our innocence. The government of President Ma Ying-jeou is settling old scores in the name of a campaign against corruption.
HIS ARREST ON SUSPICION OF MONEY LAUNDERING
Chen Shui-bian was detained by prosecutors after they won court approval to hold him on suspicion of money-laundering, accepting bribes and embezzlement during his eight years in office.
Chen, 57, banned from communicating with anybody outside the Taipei Detention Center, was shown on TVBS escorted by police to the holding facility. His detention followed an 11-hour hearing by the Taipei District Court last night at the request of prosecutors. Chen, who denies any wrongdoing, can be held for a maximum of two months.
The former president, the first in Taiwan to be held by authorities, joins nine other people detained on suspicion of laundering $30 million. The allegations have undermined public confidence in the Democratic Progressive Party, which Chen led during his two terms as president until its election defeat in March by President Ma Ying-jeou’s Kuomintang.
“Chen is history now, and there will be reform in the DPP,” said Andrew Yang, secretary-general of the Chinese Council of Advanced Policy Studies in Taipei and an adviser on Taiwan’s annual defense report. “DPP chairwoman Tsai Ing-Wen has been trying to distant herself from Chen, still she needs to do more to boost confidence and support.”
Chen’s wife, son, daughter-in-law and brother-in-law have also been questioned in connection with the case and are banned from traveling abroad. They all deny any wrongdoing.
“Former President Chen regards this as political prosecution and a political manhunt,” Chen’s office said in an e-mailed statement on behalf of his lawyer, Cheng Wen-lung. “The scripts have been written already, thus he forgoes his right to object.”
President Ma respects the independence of the judicial system and won’t comment on any individual case, Wang Yu-chi, a spokesman for Ma, said by telephone from Taipei yesterday.
Prosecutors said in August that their investigation showed more than $30 million was remitted to accounts in Singapore and the Cayman Islands before finally ending up in Swiss bank accounts.
Among those detained are Ma Yong-cheng, the former deputy secretary-general to the president; Chiou I-Jen, the ex-vice premier; Yeh Sheng-mao, who was investigation bureau chief; and Chen’s brother-in-law, Wu Ching-mao.
Wired Abroad
On Aug. 14, a day before he resigned from the Democratic Progressive Party, Chen disclosed that he was failed to declare some funds contributed to his various election campaigns and that his wife, Wu Shu-chen, was wired $21 million abroad without his knowledge.
Wu was charged in November 2006 with embezzling NT$14.8 million ($449,383) from a state affairs fund. She denied the charges and the trial is continuing.
Yeh was detained on Oct. 6 after he was indicted on Aug. 28 for covering up alleged money laundering by Chen. Prosecutors alleged he concealed a January 2008 report sent to his office by the Egmont Group, an international organization that monitors and helps combat money laundering and terrorist financing.
Yeh was also charged with hiding official documents and leaking secrets. Prosecutors are seeking a 2½-year jail term for Yeh, who headed the investigation bureau from August 2001 until his retirement in July.
China Ties
Chen’s pro-independent Democratic Progressive Party lost elections to the Kuomintang by a 17 percentage point margin. Ma’s party has promoted closer ties to China to improve the economy and ease cross-Strait tensions.
“President Ma Ying-jeou wants to please the Communist Party by arresting me,” Chen said at a press conference yesterday outside the prosecutor office building before he was questioned. “I am the biggest roadblock standing between the Chinese Communist Party and the Kuomintang, which aims to eventually unite with China.”
Chen Yunlin, China’s envoy to Taiwan, met with Ma last week, marking the highest-level meeting with a Chinese official on the island in almost 60 years.
HIS HUNGER STRIKE
Chen Shui-bian , Taiwan’s former president ended a two-week hunger strike aimed at protesting his arrest on allegations of bribery and money-laundering.
Chen started to eat some congee, or watery rice gruel, Liu Tao, a spokesman at the office of the former president said by telephone today.
Chen, who was detained Nov. 12, was hospitalized last week after he refused to eat, claiming political persecution by the government. He has repeatedly accused the ruling Kuomintang of pandering to Beijing.
The former leader, whose pro-independence stance in his eight years in office set him against mainland China, wrote a poem to lament his detention and said he would die for Taiwan’s independence. The ode was published in the Chinese-language newspaper Liberty Times on Nov. 25.
Chen’s son, Chen Chih-chung, and his wife, Huang Jui-ching, this week agreed to return to Taiwan $21 million held in three Swiss bank accounts to help settle the investigation that prompted the former president’s detention.
A court on Nov. 25 rejected Chen’s request for bail, saying the reasons for his detention haven’t changed, according to Chen Yun-nan, a spokesman for Taiwan’s Supreme Prosecutors Office.
HIS RELEASE WITHOUT BAIL
Chen was arrested on November 11 on charges on money laundering and corruption. He was released from his 32 days detention early Saturday morning
The release came after Chen, who was detained since November 12 on suspicion of corruption, was indicted on corruption charges by prosecutors.
The district court ordered that Chen remain in Taiwan to face trial in the future. The scandal-tainted ex-president was the first former leader of Taiwan to face trial on corruption charges. Prosecutors did not recommend any jail term for him, but asked that the court hand out the stiffest punishment against the ex-leader. Under the existing law, the maximum penalty for serious corruption would be life imprisonment.
TERMS OF IMPRISONMENT
Chen Shui-bian was jailed in one of the island’s grim prisons on corruption charges, was been abandoned by all but his most devoted supporters. During his eight-year term in office, Mr Chen was pushed for formal independence for Taiwan from China and—by winning the presidential election in 2000—he succeeded in interrupting a half-century of rule by the Kuomintang (KMT). But once he was convicted on charges of graft, and sentenced by Taiwan’s Supreme Court to more than 17 years in prison, his own party, the Democratic Progressive Party (DPP), distanced itself from him. His colleagues was come to fear that any support for their former leader would make the party look as if it were tolerant of corruption.
All this is changing. Mr Chen is increasingly seen as a sympathetic figure by the public and his plight is openly debated in the media. The DPP is rallying behind his family in calling for a medical parole, which would see Mr Chen hospitalised for the duration of his incarceration. According to international human-rights activists, his prison’s harsh standard of treatment, which falls well below international norms, is contributing to serious illness. At the age of 61, Mr Chen has been confined to a tiny, damp and sometimes ant-ridden cell, with one cell mate but without a bed for four years. Aside from 60 minutes’ daily exercise, his life for most of this time has been restricted to lying and standing in a personal space roughly the size of an office lift.
Recently, following pressure from the media and the DPP, Mr Chen has been allowed to go to another nearby cell during the day, to write in solitude using a chair and table—which marks the first time the former president has been provided with furniture of any kind during his incarceration. Reduced to a swasow of his former fiery self, Mr Chen stutters and slurs his speech and cannot walk far without tripping over. On September 12th he was rushed by wheelchair to a prison-appointed hospital, his fourth such trip this year. He was diagnosed with heart problems and gastric distress, which may have been caused by his trying to scribble notes with only the prison floor for a writing surface.
Less than a week later the justice ministry reported that his doctors suspect he may also have a form of vascular dementia. On September 21st, he was transferred to another prison-appointed hospital, the TaipeiVeteransGeneralHospital. Its psychiatrists have determined that Mr Chen has severe depression and recommended he be transferred to yet another hospital with a specialized psychiatric department for months of treatment. The hospital’s superintendent also told parliament that Mr Chen suffered from delusions of persecution, according to the Taipei Times. Whatever the received medical opinion, some of Mr Chen’s supporters would question the persecution’s characterisation as “delusional”.
The current president, Ma Ying-jeou of the KMT, rejects the idea of any medical parole. He insists the law be upheld and maintains that Mr Chen’s illnesses do not meet its stringent requirements. Prisoners are to be awarded medical parole only when they can’t be treated in prison or by visits to a hospital from prison, meaning that only those prisoners already close to death qualify. Many Taiwanese, particularly KMT supporters, also pride themselves in the democratic notion that the country’s former leader ought to receive no better treatment than would an ordinary citizen found guilty of wrongdoing. Their argument, in effect, is it would be anti-democratic to give Mr Chen special treatment. (A lone voice is the mayor Taipei, Hau Lung-bin, a heavyweight within the KMT, who broke with the party line in late August to speak in favour of Mr Chen’s parole.)
On October 11th the justice ministry said it still rules out the idea of medical parole, despite the psychiatrist’s recommendations. The justice minister has told parliament he will make Mr Chen’s stay in prison more comfortable after he returns from hospital, the semi-official Central News Agency reported.
What is not widely appreciated within Taiwan is that rights groups such as Amnesty International—and even the government’s own watchdog agency, the Control Yuan—worry about the treatment of prisoners in general. They make the point that extreme overcrowding is depressingly common. Scant funding for medical treatment makes life awful for all sorts of prisoners, not only the infirm.
Few Taiwanese, even among the DPP faithful, think that Mr Chen should be pardoned. It is an irony that his conviction once served to boost Mr Ma’s own political prospects, when he was contesting the presidential election in 2008. Mr Chen’s time in prison, by contrast, has brought public scrutiny to his harsh treatment, and even sympathy for his plight. It is also undermining Mr Ma’s now dangerously low popularity, not to mention faith in this young democracy’s system of justice.
The moment of Chen Shui-bian's inauguration in 2000, which announced the first real democracy in China, still has me impress the passion and power of the indigenous. Chen's exercising policy were focused by world power's leaders and media from the first to last second. Although I joined China's Communist Party more than a decade ago and now share utmost honour of Xi Jin-ping's with the world like 2000's Taipei, I still praise Chen's marvellous as I did ten years ago.
Born in an indigent farm family of Tainan's Guantien, Chen studied hard in youth enrolling in Taiwan University for becoming a lawyer about business. As 2000's SETTV “A-bian and A-chen” by Peng Chia-chia, Chen was a chance to once again meet his then classmate, Wu Shu-chen, and get married with his remembrance of friend's scooter. As a lawyer in 1979's Kaohsiung Incident, he won a seat on Taipei Council in 1981 but was unreasonably jailed for 8 months writing his dissatisfaction with Chiang's rule as Wu got a seat on this Council.
Later, he joined DPP, losing election in Tainan while his wife bumped into a car accident. Then, he won an election of legislator. Different from the beginning core in DPP, the faction of Chen and Hsieh Chung-ting (Frank Hsieh) played “franchise” against KMT's monopoly, outside DPP, more than welcome among Taiwan's youth. Also, both affect me profoundly with a view to political socialization while green banners and flags fly around Taipei. Owing to a lawyer, Chen assisted Taiwan's rich to win many lawsuit, different from a thought of party belonging to poor illiteracy as mentally-retarded Taiwan's media said.
In 1994, he won Taipei mayor as KMT torn in two, developing himself as a leader of younger DPP. His charisma of youth, localization and international view, failing to re-elect in Taipei, was him win 2000's election and successfully built a brilliant achievement by a nod of DPP's then utmost Huang Hsin-jie.
Unlocking limitation of investment in mainland banned by Lee Tung-huee, Chen actively eased the limitation as his willingness to “Taiwanese Republic” independent from China. “The third way”, advocated by then British prime minister Tony Blair, was also taken as his political direction on his ideology of Taiwan's unity. Meanwhile, he improved tie with America as Therese Shaheen and Stephen M. Young close to him.
In first tenure, he visited New York in 2001 with delicious Texas beef steak. His democratic image and background got him talked with South Korean counterpart, Kim Dae-Jung. In my opinion, he exercised the interior second to Japan's Koizumi Junichiro in Asia. He made rule of law push ahead and crime rate lower with formidable presidency. His daughter, Chen Hsin-yu, said that he “stuck himself into the crown” and Wu said to TIME in 2003 as White Horror left faraway: “I'm not the kind of person who hides and sheds tears in the dark. I fight hardship in my life” Making good use of trade-first character of Taiwan, Chen depended on the support of Acer's Shih Zhen-rong (Stan Shih, APEC's representative), Chonghua's Lin Hsin-yi and Eva's Chang Yong-fa to keep his regime.
The tension between pan-blue and -green resulted in the 319 gun-shot incident, but the re-election unveiled, Full of belligerent lawyer temper and as a pop fan of “MayDay” with his son Chen Chi-chong, he aggressively continued to walk around the world, though unhappiness in Alaska with his unwillingness to opening Taiwan Strait's sky to mainland. In 2004 to TIME, he said “I'm a maker of history.”. In 2005, as TIME annual 100 with China's counterpart Hu Jing-tao and American George W. Bush, he met Li Ke-qiang, now succeeding Wen Jia-bao in several weeks, in that summer for the better relations with Beijing. In 2006, he chose “terminating” law of unity with Parker pen to pause the boisterous between KMT and DPP, with louder voice of reconciliation across Taiwan Strait.
Suffering KMT's pressure, he kept annual 4.5% economic growth with low unemployment rate and narrow poor-rich gap (16 times). Interviewed by Cheng Hung-yi in SETTV, he disclosed of Su Cheng-chun, now DPP's chairman, as a successor but Frank Hsieh won DPP's nomination. With a question of his corruption, the time went fast those years. As a whole, KMT and DPP showed party-politics system well like American.
TRANSCRIPT OF CHEN SHUI-BIAN SCANDAL
* embezzlement
* bribery
* money laundering involving $15 million USD in funds while in office from 2000-2008
* his wife was wired $21 million in campaign funds to accounts around the world (Singapore, the Cayman Islands and Switzerland)
* received life sentence & a fine of $200 million (New Taiwan dollar) = US$6.13 million
* life sentence for corruption is cut to 20 years Background Chen Shui-Bian Scandal Comic Editorial Damage Control by Angela Lin, Christine Tseng, Esther Lee, and Tammy Ho In May 2008, as former president, Chen was prohibited from leaving the nation due to allegations of corruption and abuse of authority.
On August 14, right after a press conference held by the rival party’s legislator, which announced a request for investigation assistance from the Swiss government, Chen called a press conference admitting that leftover funds from past election campaigns were forwarded to overseas accounts, however he claimed that this was done by his wife without his knowing.
The next day Chen and his wife resigned from the Democratic Progressive Party and apologized. On November 11, Chen was sent to the prosecutor’s office for questioning.
During his detention, he went on a two-week hunger strike in which he was to be sent to the hospital.
Prosecutors filed two appeals to continue Chen’s detention out of fear that he may leave the country or destroy evidence.
On June 11, the High Court cut his life sentence for corruption to 20 years, and a fine of US$6.13 million. The End don't be hesitant,
who's the real criminal? 2008 election voters Chen's government legislature Taiwan economy EPRINTS
TAIPEI, Taiwan, Sept. 9 (Reuters) — Tens of thousands of people opposed to Taiwan’s president, Chen Shui-bian, took to the streets on Saturday in response to calls for weeklong demonstrations aimed at unseating him.
Before the rally, one of the largest, a steady flow of people streamed in during the day to the site in front of the presidential palace where the event began in the late afternoon.
Observers put the crowd at 30,000 to 50,000 when the demonstration officially began, but television reports estimated the crowd at up to 80,000. Campaigners was expected up to 300,000.
Organizers said the protest was triggered by public frustration over several scandals involving President Chen’s family and officials in his administration.
On Saturday, the president returned to his hometown in Tainan County in the south, meeting his supporters and praying for his political survival.
“Everything we do, we do it for Taiwan’s democracy and freedom,” Mr. Chen told supporters. “We cannot let people destroy this.”
Mr. Chen and his wife have been questioned over the use of the presidential office’s state affairs budget, while their son in-law, Chao Chien-ming, has been charged with insider trading.
Several senior officials have also stepped down this year because of corruption scandals.
Aides to Mr. Chen have said that the president would neither step down nor meet the crowd. He rejects the allegations of corruption and says he did not pocket any money from the state affairs budget.
Taiwan’s financial markets have come under pressure in the days leading up to the protest, which was organized by the “Million People Depose Bian” movement led by Shih Ming-teh, a former chairman of Mr. Chen’s governing Democratic Progressive Party.
“On Sept. 9, we stand here, we sit here, to call on A-bian to step down,” said Mr. Shih, using the president’s nickname. “Brothers and sisters, today is a moment in history. The people of Taiwan are watching. The world is watching. They are looking to see if we have the resolve to make A-bian step down.”
On sept. 10, about 4,000 people demonstrated in Taipei to express support for Mr. Chen, who was elected in 2000 and re-elected 2004. Thousands of Protesters Call on Taiwan’s President to Step Down BEIJING, May 4 — Taiwan's president, Chen Shui-bian, delayed an overseas trip at the last minute on Wednesday after the United States denied him permission to stop overnight on American soil, a diplomatic setback for the independence-leaning Taiwanese leader.
CONCLUSION :
He is serving a sentence for corruption offences.
The jail had arranged for a psychologist to see him .
He had been receiving medical treatment in recent months for health problems, which according to local reports include severe depression.
His office has been seeking medical parole for him.
Chen's election as president ended more than 50 years of rule by the Kuomingtang, which is now back in power.
NAME :- BRIJESH . SHAH
TOPIC :- CHEN SHUI BIAN SCANDAL
CONTENT
1. CHEN SHUI BIAN
2. CHEN SHUI BIAN SCANDAL
3. DETAILS
4. HIS CORRUPTION IN DETAIL
5. HIS ARREST ON SUSPICION OF MONEY LAUNDERING
6. HIS HUNGER STRIKE
7. HIS RELEASE WITHOUT BAIL
8. TERMS OF IMPRISONMENT
9. TRANSCRIPT OF CHEN SHUI-BIAN SCANDAL
ACKNOWLEDGEMENT
We take this opportunity to express our profound gratitude and deep regards to SAGAR SIR for his exemplary guidance, monitoring and constant encouragement throughout the course of this thesis. The blessing, help and guidance given by him time to time shall carry me a long way in the journey of life on which I am about to embark.
-BRIJESH.SHAH
INTRODUCTION
CHEN SHUI BIAN :-
Chen shui bian is a former Taiwanese politician who was president from 2000 to 2008. Chen's election ended more than fifty years of Kuomintang control of the Executive Yuan in Taiwan. A native-born Taiwanese, he is colloquially referred to as A-Bian.
A lawyer, Chen entered politics in 1980 during the Kaohsiung Incident as a member of the Tangwai movement and was elected to the Taipei City Council in 1981. He was jailed in 1985 for libel as the editor of the weekly pro-democracy magazine Neo-Formosa, following publication of an article critical of Elmer Feng , a college philosophy professor who was later elected a Kuomintang legislator. After being released, Chen helped found the Democratic Progressive Party (DPP) in 1986 and was elected a member of the Legislative Yuan in 1989, and Mayor of Taipei in 1994.
Chen won the 2000 presidential election on March 18 with 39% of the vote as a result of a split of factions within the Kuomintang, when James Soong ran for the presidency as an independent against the party nominee Lien Chan, becoming the only non-member of the Kuomintang to hold the office of president. Although Chen received high approval ratings during the first few weeks of his term, his popularity sharply dropped due to alleged corruption within his administration and the inability to pass legislation against the opposition KMT, who controlled the Legislative Yuan. In 2004, he won reelection by a narrow margin after surviving a shooting while campaigning the day before the election. Opponents suspected him of staging the incident for political purposes. However, the case was officially closed in 2005 with all evidence pointing to a single deceased suspect, Chen Yi-hsiung.
Convicted, along with his wife Wu Shu-chen, on two bribery charges, he is currently serving a 19-year sentence in Taipei Prison, reduced from a life sentence. Supporters have insisted that his trial was an unfair and politically motivated retribution by the Kuomintang for his years in power.
CHEN SHUI BIAN SCANDAL :
Chen Shui-bian , former President of the Republic of China, stepped down on May 20, 2008, the same day that Ma Ying-jeou took office as the new President of the Republic of China Just one hour after he left the Presidential Office Building, as a former President of the Republic of China and no longer enjoying presidential immunity, he was controlled and limited from leaving the nation by Taiwanese prosecutors due to allegations of corruption and abuse of authority. Chen was accused of fraud in a case involving the handling of a special presidential fund used to pursue Taiwan's foreign diplomacy. However, “After more than five years of investigation by the [Special Investigation Division], it has dropped the case of money-laundering in Palau against the former president because it could not find any evidence of wrongdoing. But where is Chen Shui-bian? He has been in jail for nearly six years now. His mental condition and health are deteriorating, yet the government still refuses to grant him a medical parole."
President Ma Ying-jeou moved to declassify documents that will aid in the investigation of the former president's use of special expenses. President Ma was then swiftly sued by Chen's lawyers on August 6, 2008, calling Ma's declassification of case-aiding documents, "politically motivated." The documents which were sought were classified earlier by Chen. The documents are mostly receipts and records of use of special expenses .
Chen claims that the money was wired overseas by his wife and without his knowing. There is also an investigation launched by Swiss authorities over a Swiss bank account bearing Chen's daughter-in-law's name: roughly US$31 million were wired to the account from Taiwan and was then forwarded again to an account in the Cayman Islands. Swiss and Taiwan authorities are cooperating in investigating whether or not there are instances of money laundering committed by members of the former first family. It is unknown whether or not the wiring of the Swiss accounts and the wiring of campaign money overseas by Mrs. Chen are related.Chen and his wife are currently restricted from leaving Taiwan.
DETAILS
Chen Shui-bian was been barred from leaving the island and his office raided on money-laundering allegations implicating him and his family.
The coast guard confirmed that Chen was been barred by prosecutors from leaving the territory which he led for eight years.
Guard Administration spokesman Hsieh Ching-chin told AFP.
The move came after prosecutors separately searched Chen's office and residence in Taipei.
"We took away accounting books and computers which could help with clarifying the case," Chu Chao-liang, spokesman for the special investigation unit, told reporters.
Chen and his wife Wu Shu-chen were questioned Saturday by prosecutors over the money laundering charges against their family.
Chu said prosecutors did not use warrants as they were cooperative while the wheelchair-bound Wu wore a cast and appeared to be in poor health.
Wu claimed that the overseas funds came from her family, Chen's past income as a lawyer, his political donations and their investment proceeds, local newspapers said.
Taiwan launched a probe into the money laundering claims following similar moves by Swiss authorities.
Copies of Swiss documents obtained by Kuomintang lawmaker Hung Hsiu-chu showed that Chen's son Chen Chih-chung and daughter-in-law Huang Jui-ching transferred US$31 million to her Swiss bank accounts in 2007.
The ex-leader was already been questioned on Friday but requested "leaves of absence" for the young couple, whom he said were in the US for academic studies, Chu said.
Chen admitted that his wife was wired abroad US$20 million from his past campaign funds, saying she was done so without his knowledge.
He has denied money laundering.
However, nearly 68 percent of 1,012 people polled Saturday by the China Times said they did not trust Chen's arguments.
As many respondents said the image of the pro-independence opposition Democratic Progressive Party (DPP) was been severely tarnished although Chen quit the party one day after the scandal surfaced. The party was still reeling from its crushing defeat in the March presidential election and January parliamentary polls.
In an interview with a local cable news network Saturday, a heart-broken Ng Chiau-tong, a former advisor to Chen, called his former boss the "shame of Taiwan."
Chen, who rose to power with the nickname "Son of Taiwan" is already under investigation for allegedly embezzling NT$14.8 million (US$480,500) in special expenses from the government while he was president, and his wife is on trial for corruption and document forgery in the same case.
Chen has admitted using false receipts to claim money from the state, but insisted those funds were used for "secret diplomatic missions" and not his personal benefit.
Nevertheless, prosecutors found that at least NT$1.5 million was been spent on diamond rings and other luxury items for his wife.
A string of corruption scandals implicating Chen, his family and top DPP officials has tarnished the party's image and played a part in its defeat in the March presidential vote.
HIS CORRUPTION IN DETAIL
On August 14, 2008, shortly following rival party KMT legislator's press conference announcing the existence of a request for money laundering investigation assistance letter from the Swiss government, the former president called an evening press conference and admitted that his past election campaigns was misstated election finance expenses, and was leftover monies in campaign coffers forwarded to overseas accounts.
Chen claims that the money was wired overseas by his wife and without his knowing. There is also an investigation launched by Swiss authorities over a Swiss bank account bearing Chen's daughter-in-law's name: roughly US$31 million were wired to the account from Taiwan and was then forwarded again to an account in the Cayman Islands. Swiss and Taiwan authorities are cooperating in investigating whether or not there are instances of money laundering committed by members of the former first family. It is unknown whether or not the wiring of the Swiss accounts and the wiring of campaign money overseas by Mrs. Chen are related. Chen and his wife are currently restricted from leaving Taiwan.
Chen's August 14 admission was a reversal of his position just one day earlier, when he vehemently denied a Next Magazine report of the same story.
The following day, August 15, Chen announced that both he and his wife will leave the Democratic Progressive Party for good from the fallout of the previous day's admission.
Reaction to Chen's admission was negative. Former DPP chairman Shih Ming-teh (1994–96), claimed to have been eating while Chen called his press conference, and threw his chopsticks down in anger upon hearing his confession.
Chen Shui-bian and his wife Wu Shu-jen, on August 15, resigned from the Democratic Progressive Party and apologized, thus: “Today I have to say sorry to all of the DPP members and supporters. I let everyone down, caused you humiliation and failed to meet your expectations. My acts have caused irreparable damage to the party. I love the DPP deeply and am proud of being a DPP member. To express my deepest regrets to all DPP members and supporters, I announce my withdrawal from the DPP immediately. My wife Wu Shu-jen is also withdrawing from the party.” DPP Chairwoman Tsai Ing-wen also apologized to the public on behalf of the party: “In regard to Chen and his wife’s decision to withdraw from the party and his desire to shoulder responsibility for his actions as well as to undergo an investigation by the party’s anti-corruption committee, we respect his decision and accept it.” Taiwan prosecutors on August 16 interrogated Wu Shu-jen and asked her to explain overseas money transactions. A Kuomintang (KMT) party member alleged that Chen's wife bought jewelry to launder money. Hung Hsiu-chu, a member of the ruling KMT, charged that Chen's family opened four bank accounts in Switzerland, with total deposits of US$32 million, which Chen remitted through his daughter-in-law, Huang Jui-ching.
On August 17, Supreme Court Prosecutor's Office announced Taiwanese investigators took away boxes of documents, after search of Chen's home in Taipei City, his office, and in Tainan, at the home of his wife's brother Wu Ching-mao. Chen was prohibited by prosecutors from leaving Taiwan. Chen has (US?/NT?)$21 million at overseas banks held in the name of family members. Shih Ming-te, a former leader of Chen's Democratic Progressive Party accused Chen of laundering at least (US?/NT?)$85 million from an entrepreneur bidding for bank ownership in 2005. Coast Guard Administration spokesman Hsieh Ching-chin said: "We received the order from the special investigation unit around 9:20 p.m. last night saying former president Chen was barred from leaving the country." Chen's probe concerns NT$14.8 million (US$480,500) in special expenses from the government, while he was president, and his wife is on trial for corruption and document forgery. Prosecutors found at least NT$1.5 million was been spent on diamond rings and other luxury items for his wife. Upon his return to Taiwan, Chen's son claimed that he was a mere "figurehead," and was not directly involved in the transfer of money.
On October 31, 2008, Chiou I-jen was arrested and detained incommunicado, by Supreme Prosecutors Office's Special Investigation Division Prosecutors, for alleged embezzlemen of about US$500,000 (£308,000) from diplomatic funds, in 2004, as secretary-general of the National Security Council. Chen Shui-bian called his arrest a "political persecution" by the Beijing-friendly Kuomintang government amid and after another senior DPP member -- ChiayiCounty magistrate Chen Ming-wen's detention on corruption charges: "The government abused the laws and its powers to persecute and humiliate us but the people and the history will return justice to us and prove our innocence. The government of President Ma Ying-jeou is settling old scores in the name of a campaign against corruption.
HIS ARREST ON SUSPICION OF MONEY LAUNDERING
Chen Shui-bian was detained by prosecutors after they won court approval to hold him on suspicion of money-laundering, accepting bribes and embezzlement during his eight years in office.
Chen, 57, banned from communicating with anybody outside the Taipei Detention Center, was shown on TVBS escorted by police to the holding facility. His detention followed an 11-hour hearing by the Taipei District Court last night at the request of prosecutors. Chen, who denies any wrongdoing, can be held for a maximum of two months.
The former president, the first in Taiwan to be held by authorities, joins nine other people detained on suspicion of laundering $30 million. The allegations have undermined public confidence in the Democratic Progressive Party, which Chen led during his two terms as president until its election defeat in March by President Ma Ying-jeou’s Kuomintang.
“Chen is history now, and there will be reform in the DPP,” said Andrew Yang, secretary-general of the Chinese Council of Advanced Policy Studies in Taipei and an adviser on Taiwan’s annual defense report. “DPP chairwoman Tsai Ing-Wen has been trying to distant herself from Chen, still she needs to do more to boost confidence and support.”
Chen’s wife, son, daughter-in-law and brother-in-law have also been questioned in connection with the case and are banned from traveling abroad. They all deny any wrongdoing.
“Former President Chen regards this as political prosecution and a political manhunt,” Chen’s office said in an e-mailed statement on behalf of his lawyer, Cheng Wen-lung. “The scripts have been written already, thus he forgoes his right to object.”
President Ma respects the independence of the judicial system and won’t comment on any individual case, Wang Yu-chi, a spokesman for Ma, said by telephone from Taipei yesterday.
Prosecutors said in August that their investigation showed more than $30 million was remitted to accounts in Singapore and the Cayman Islands before finally ending up in Swiss bank accounts.
Among those detained are Ma Yong-cheng, the former deputy secretary-general to the president; Chiou I-Jen, the ex-vice premier; Yeh Sheng-mao, who was investigation bureau chief; and Chen’s brother-in-law, Wu Ching-mao.
Wired Abroad
On Aug. 14, a day before he resigned from the Democratic Progressive Party, Chen disclosed that he was failed to declare some funds contributed to his various election campaigns and that his wife, Wu Shu-chen, was wired $21 million abroad without his knowledge.
Wu was charged in November 2006 with embezzling NT$14.8 million ($449,383) from a state affairs fund. She denied the charges and the trial is continuing.
Yeh was detained on Oct. 6 after he was indicted on Aug. 28 for covering up alleged money laundering by Chen. Prosecutors alleged he concealed a January 2008 report sent to his office by the Egmont Group, an international organization that monitors and helps combat money laundering and terrorist financing.
Yeh was also charged with hiding official documents and leaking secrets. Prosecutors are seeking a 2½-year jail term for Yeh, who headed the investigation bureau from August 2001 until his retirement in July.
China Ties
Chen’s pro-independent Democratic Progressive Party lost elections to the Kuomintang by a 17 percentage point margin. Ma’s party has promoted closer ties to China to improve the economy and ease cross-Strait tensions.
“President Ma Ying-jeou wants to please the Communist Party by arresting me,” Chen said at a press conference yesterday outside the prosecutor office building before he was questioned. “I am the biggest roadblock standing between the Chinese Communist Party and the Kuomintang, which aims to eventually unite with China.”
Chen Yunlin, China’s envoy to Taiwan, met with Ma last week, marking the highest-level meeting with a Chinese official on the island in almost 60 years.
HIS HUNGER STRIKE
Chen Shui-bian , Taiwan’s former president ended a two-week hunger strike aimed at protesting his arrest on allegations of bribery and money-laundering.
Chen started to eat some congee, or watery rice gruel, Liu Tao, a spokesman at the office of the former president said by telephone today.
Chen, who was detained Nov. 12, was hospitalized last week after he refused to eat, claiming political persecution by the government. He has repeatedly accused the ruling Kuomintang of pandering to Beijing.
The former leader, whose pro-independence stance in his eight years in office set him against mainland China, wrote a poem to lament his detention and said he would die for Taiwan’s independence. The ode was published in the Chinese-language newspaper Liberty Times on Nov. 25.
Chen’s son, Chen Chih-chung, and his wife, Huang Jui-ching, this week agreed to return to Taiwan $21 million held in three Swiss bank accounts to help settle the investigation that prompted the former president’s detention.
A court on Nov. 25 rejected Chen’s request for bail, saying the reasons for his detention haven’t changed, according to Chen Yun-nan, a spokesman for Taiwan’s Supreme Prosecutors Office.
HIS RELEASE WITHOUT BAIL
Chen was arrested on November 11 on charges on money laundering and corruption. He was released from his 32 days detention early Saturday morning
The release came after Chen, who was detained since November 12 on suspicion of corruption, was indicted on corruption charges by prosecutors.
The district court ordered that Chen remain in Taiwan to face trial in the future. The scandal-tainted ex-president was the first former leader of Taiwan to face trial on corruption charges. Prosecutors did not recommend any jail term for him, but asked that the court hand out the stiffest punishment against the ex-leader. Under the existing law, the maximum penalty for serious corruption would be life imprisonment.
TERMS OF IMPRISONMENT
Chen Shui-bian was jailed in one of the island’s grim prisons on corruption charges, was been abandoned by all but his most devoted supporters. During his eight-year term in office, Mr Chen was pushed for formal independence for Taiwan from China and—by winning the presidential election in 2000—he succeeded in interrupting a half-century of rule by the Kuomintang (KMT). But once he was convicted on charges of graft, and sentenced by Taiwan’s Supreme Court to more than 17 years in prison, his own party, the Democratic Progressive Party (DPP), distanced itself from him. His colleagues was come to fear that any support for their former leader would make the party look as if it were tolerant of corruption.
All this is changing. Mr Chen is increasingly seen as a sympathetic figure by the public and his plight is openly debated in the media. The DPP is rallying behind his family in calling for a medical parole, which would see Mr Chen hospitalised for the duration of his incarceration. According to international human-rights activists, his prison’s harsh standard of treatment, which falls well below international norms, is contributing to serious illness. At the age of 61, Mr Chen has been confined to a tiny, damp and sometimes ant-ridden cell, with one cell mate but without a bed for four years. Aside from 60 minutes’ daily exercise, his life for most of this time has been restricted to lying and standing in a personal space roughly the size of an office lift.
Recently, following pressure from the media and the DPP, Mr Chen has been allowed to go to another nearby cell during the day, to write in solitude using a chair and table—which marks the first time the former president has been provided with furniture of any kind during his incarceration. Reduced to a swasow of his former fiery self, Mr Chen stutters and slurs his speech and cannot walk far without tripping over. On September 12th he was rushed by wheelchair to a prison-appointed hospital, his fourth such trip this year. He was diagnosed with heart problems and gastric distress, which may have been caused by his trying to scribble notes with only the prison floor for a writing surface.
Less than a week later the justice ministry reported that his doctors suspect he may also have a form of vascular dementia. On September 21st, he was transferred to another prison-appointed hospital, the TaipeiVeteransGeneralHospital. Its psychiatrists have determined that Mr Chen has severe depression and recommended he be transferred to yet another hospital with a specialized psychiatric department for months of treatment. The hospital’s superintendent also told parliament that Mr Chen suffered from delusions of persecution, according to the Taipei Times. Whatever the received medical opinion, some of Mr Chen’s supporters would question the persecution’s characterisation as “delusional”.
The current president, Ma Ying-jeou of the KMT, rejects the idea of any medical parole. He insists the law be upheld and maintains that Mr Chen’s illnesses do not meet its stringent requirements. Prisoners are to be awarded medical parole only when they can’t be treated in prison or by visits to a hospital from prison, meaning that only those prisoners already close to death qualify. Many Taiwanese, particularly KMT supporters, also pride themselves in the democratic notion that the country’s former leader ought to receive no better treatment than would an ordinary citizen found guilty of wrongdoing. Their argument, in effect, is it would be anti-democratic to give Mr Chen special treatment. (A lone voice is the mayor Taipei, Hau Lung-bin, a heavyweight within the KMT, who broke with the party line in late August to speak in favour of Mr Chen’s parole.)
On October 11th the justice ministry said it still rules out the idea of medical parole, despite the psychiatrist’s recommendations. The justice minister has told parliament he will make Mr Chen’s stay in prison more comfortable after he returns from hospital, the semi-official Central News Agency reported.
What is not widely appreciated within Taiwan is that rights groups such as Amnesty International—and even the government’s own watchdog agency, the Control Yuan—worry about the treatment of prisoners in general. They make the point that extreme overcrowding is depressingly common. Scant funding for medical treatment makes life awful for all sorts of prisoners, not only the infirm.
Few Taiwanese, even among the DPP faithful, think that Mr Chen should be pardoned. It is an irony that his conviction once served to boost Mr Ma’s own political prospects, when he was contesting the presidential election in 2008. Mr Chen’s time in prison, by contrast, has brought public scrutiny to his harsh treatment, and even sympathy for his plight. It is also undermining Mr Ma’s now dangerously low popularity, not to mention faith in this young democracy’s system of justice.
The moment of Chen Shui-bian's inauguration in 2000, which announced the first real democracy in China, still has me impress the passion and power of the indigenous. Chen's exercising policy were focused by world power's leaders and media from the first to last second. Although I joined China's Communist Party more than a decade ago and now share utmost honour of Xi Jin-ping's with the world like 2000's Taipei, I still praise Chen's marvellous as I did ten years ago.
Born in an indigent farm family of Tainan's Guantien, Chen studied hard in youth enrolling in Taiwan University for becoming a lawyer about business. As 2000's SETTV “A-bian and A-chen” by Peng Chia-chia, Chen was a chance to once again meet his then classmate, Wu Shu-chen, and get married with his remembrance of friend's scooter. As a lawyer in 1979's Kaohsiung Incident, he won a seat on Taipei Council in 1981 but was unreasonably jailed for 8 months writing his dissatisfaction with Chiang's rule as Wu got a seat on this Council.
Later, he joined DPP, losing election in Tainan while his wife bumped into a car accident. Then, he won an election of legislator. Different from the beginning core in DPP, the faction of Chen and Hsieh Chung-ting (Frank Hsieh) played “franchise” against KMT's monopoly, outside DPP, more than welcome among Taiwan's youth. Also, both affect me profoundly with a view to political socialization while green banners and flags fly around Taipei. Owing to a lawyer, Chen assisted Taiwan's rich to win many lawsuit, different from a thought of party belonging to poor illiteracy as mentally-retarded Taiwan's media said.
In 1994, he won Taipei mayor as KMT torn in two, developing himself as a leader of younger DPP. His charisma of youth, localization and international view, failing to re-elect in Taipei, was him win 2000's election and successfully built a brilliant achievement by a nod of DPP's then utmost Huang Hsin-jie.
Unlocking limitation of investment in mainland banned by Lee Tung-huee, Chen actively eased the limitation as his willingness to “Taiwanese Republic” independent from China. “The third way”, advocated by then British prime minister Tony Blair, was also taken as his political direction on his ideology of Taiwan's unity. Meanwhile, he improved tie with America as Therese Shaheen and Stephen M. Young close to him.
In first tenure, he visited New York in 2001 with delicious Texas beef steak. His democratic image and background got him talked with South Korean counterpart, Kim Dae-Jung. In my opinion, he exercised the interior second to Japan's Koizumi Junichiro in Asia. He made rule of law push ahead and crime rate lower with formidable presidency. His daughter, Chen Hsin-yu, said that he “stuck himself into the crown” and Wu said to TIME in 2003 as White Horror left faraway: “I'm not the kind of person who hides and sheds tears in the dark. I fight hardship in my life” Making good use of trade-first character of Taiwan, Chen depended on the support of Acer's Shih Zhen-rong (Stan Shih, APEC's representative), Chonghua's Lin Hsin-yi and Eva's Chang Yong-fa to keep his regime.
The tension between pan-blue and -green resulted in the 319 gun-shot incident, but the re-election unveiled, Full of belligerent lawyer temper and as a pop fan of “MayDay” with his son Chen Chi-chong, he aggressively continued to walk around the world, though unhappiness in Alaska with his unwillingness to opening Taiwan Strait's sky to mainland. In 2004 to TIME, he said “I'm a maker of history.”. In 2005, as TIME annual 100 with China's counterpart Hu Jing-tao and American George W. Bush, he met Li Ke-qiang, now succeeding Wen Jia-bao in several weeks, in that summer for the better relations with Beijing. In 2006, he chose “terminating” law of unity with Parker pen to pause the boisterous between KMT and DPP, with louder voice of reconciliation across Taiwan Strait.
Suffering KMT's pressure, he kept annual 4.5% economic growth with low unemployment rate and narrow poor-rich gap (16 times). Interviewed by Cheng Hung-yi in SETTV, he disclosed of Su Cheng-chun, now DPP's chairman, as a successor but Frank Hsieh won DPP's nomination. With a question of his corruption, the time went fast those years. As a whole, KMT and DPP showed party-politics system well like American.
TRANSCRIPT OF CHEN SHUI-BIAN SCANDAL
* embezzlement
* bribery
* money laundering involving $15 million USD in funds while in office from 2000-2008
* his wife was wired $21 million in campaign funds to accounts around the world (Singapore, the Cayman Islands and Switzerland)
* received life sentence & a fine of $200 million (New Taiwan dollar) = US$6.13 million
* life sentence for corruption is cut to 20 years Background Chen Shui-Bian Scandal Comic Editorial Damage Control by Angela Lin, Christine Tseng, Esther Lee, and Tammy Ho In May 2008, as former president, Chen was prohibited from leaving the nation due to allegations of corruption and abuse of authority.
On August 14, right after a press conference held by the rival party’s legislator, which announced a request for investigation assistance from the Swiss government, Chen called a press conference admitting that leftover funds from past election campaigns were forwarded to overseas accounts, however he claimed that this was done by his wife without his knowing.
The next day Chen and his wife resigned from the Democratic Progressive Party and apologized. On November 11, Chen was sent to the prosecutor’s office for questioning.
During his detention, he went on a two-week hunger strike in which he was to be sent to the hospital.
Prosecutors filed two appeals to continue Chen’s detention out of fear that he may leave the country or destroy evidence.
On June 11, the High Court cut his life sentence for corruption to 20 years, and a fine of US$6.13 million. The End don't be hesitant,
who's the real criminal? 2008 election voters Chen's government legislature Taiwan economy EPRINTS
TAIPEI, Taiwan, Sept. 9 (Reuters) — Tens of thousands of people opposed to Taiwan’s president, Chen Shui-bian, took to the streets on Saturday in response to calls for weeklong demonstrations aimed at unseating him.
Before the rally, one of the largest, a steady flow of people streamed in during the day to the site in front of the presidential palace where the event began in the late afternoon.
Observers put the crowd at 30,000 to 50,000 when the demonstration officially began, but television reports estimated the crowd at up to 80,000. Campaigners was expected up to 300,000.
Organizers said the protest was triggered by public frustration over several scandals involving President Chen’s family and officials in his administration.
On Saturday, the president returned to his hometown in Tainan County in the south, meeting his supporters and praying for his political survival.
“Everything we do, we do it for Taiwan’s democracy and freedom,” Mr. Chen told supporters. “We cannot let people destroy this.”
Mr. Chen and his wife have been questioned over the use of the presidential office’s state affairs budget, while their son in-law, Chao Chien-ming, has been charged with insider trading.
Several senior officials have also stepped down this year because of corruption scandals.
Aides to Mr. Chen have said that the president would neither step down nor meet the crowd. He rejects the allegations of corruption and says he did not pocket any money from the state affairs budget.
Taiwan’s financial markets have come under pressure in the days leading up to the protest, which was organized by the “Million People Depose Bian” movement led by Shih Ming-teh, a former chairman of Mr. Chen’s governing Democratic Progressive Party.
“On Sept. 9, we stand here, we sit here, to call on A-bian to step down,” said Mr. Shih, using the president’s nickname. “Brothers and sisters, today is a moment in history. The people of Taiwan are watching. The world is watching. They are looking to see if we have the resolve to make A-bian step down.”
On sept. 10, about 4,000 people demonstrated in Taipei to express support for Mr. Chen, who was elected in 2000 and re-elected 2004. Thousands of Protesters Call on Taiwan’s President to Step Down BEIJING, May 4 — Taiwan's president, Chen Shui-bian, delayed an overseas trip at the last minute on Wednesday after the United States denied him permission to stop overnight on American soil, a diplomatic setback for the independence-leaning Taiwanese leader.
CONCLUSION :
He is serving a sentence for corruption offences.
The jail had arranged for a psychologist to see him .
He had been receiving medical treatment in recent months for health problems, which according to local reports include severe depression.
His office has been seeking medical parole for him.
Chen's election as president ended more than 50 years of rule by the Kuomingtang, which is now back in power.