The ex-president has admitted his wife wired US$20 million abroad from his past campaign funds, but said she did so without his knowledge. -- ASSOCIATED PRESS
TAIPEI - A TAIWANESE prosecutor flew to Singapore on Wednesday as part of a probe into alleged money-laundering by former president Chen Shui-bian and his family.
Reports here said prosecutor Ching Chi-jen would probe claims that the Chen family had transferred funds to Switzerland via the Singapore bank accounts of the ex-president's brother-in-law Wu Ching-mao.
'Each country has similar rules on judicial assistence,' Ms Ching said as she left, confirming she would meet the Singapore attorney-general's office.
She has recently returned from Switzerland, where she helped officials with their own investigation into suspected money-laundering implicating Chen's son Chen Chih-chung and daughter-in-law Huang Jui-ching.
According to Taiwanese prosecutors, US$21 million (S$29.8 million) was sent to Huang's Swiss bank accounts in 2007 and was used to set up companies registered in the Cayman Islands.
Chen Shui-bian, his wife, son, daughter-in-law and brother-in-law have all been named as defendants in the case.
The ex-president has admitted his wife wired US$20 million abroad from his past campaign funds, but said she did so without his knowledge.
He has denied any illegal activity.
His son and daughter-in-law have said they did their mother's bidding and were unclear about 'the source or the background' of any transferred funds.
Chen, who left office in May, is already being investigated for allegedly embezzling NT$14.8 million (S$700,000) in special expenses while president, while his wife is on trial for corruption and document forgery in the same case. -- AFP
