| The Taiwanese Ministry of Justice (MOJ) is investigating money laundering claims against the former President Chen Shui-bian and his wife, Wu Shu-jen. In addition to seeking greater cooperation from the U.S., Singaporean and Swiss authorities (who are already investigating the former first family), the MOJ is offering a NT$10 million reward to anyone providing information leading to a break in the case.
In some places, seeking the public’s help to break a money laundering case is unusual. But in this case it seems a natural thing to do — everyone in Taiwan seems to know the former president in one context or another. Perhaps Taiwanese authorities want to see if anyone has seen Chen actually spending the tainted funds in this high profile case. Prosecutors found during their investigation, for example, that Chen spent NT$1.5 million on diamond rings and luxury items for his wife. So, perhaps, there was an interesting conversation with that jeweler that took place. Time will tell if anyone collects the reward for providing further information on the case.
Further to this case, Chen is embroiled in yet another corruption case where he is accused of lying about a NT$100 million check he received from a supporter saying he was concerned the payment was an illegal political contribution and should be investigated—after police seized the check. An accusation the check’s writer, a corporate chairman, disputed.
Despite charges that he laundered NT$1 billion while in office and allowed his wife to allegedly misappropriate NT$14.8 million from a government fund he controlled, Chen remains undaunted. He is running for office again with an eye towards reclaiming the presidency in 2012. Chen is dismissive of all the drama that swirls about him and, apparently, believes that others share his opinion. His view on the whole matter is evident in his response to questions about being at the center of a multinational money laundering investigation — Chen said, “money is dry, it cannot be washed (laundered); money is clean, not dirty, it does not need to be washed (laundered).”
With a mindset like that, it’s hard to imagine that someone, somewhere in those aforementioned countries hasn’t seen or heard Chen do or say something that would help move the case along. Furthermore, because he is a Politically Exposed Person (PEP) and most financial institutions engage in some level of PEP screening, it’s surprising that Chen was able to launder NT$1 billion through foreign banks without drawing attention much earlier on.
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