Ex Taiwanese President Chen and his wife sentenced to life in prison.

[Shadowstorm]

Taiwan's Chen, wife sentenced to life

<LI class=cnnHiliteHeader _extended="true">Story Highlights <LI _extended="true">NEW: Former first lady Wu Shu-chen receives same sentence
<LI _extended="true">NEW: Riot police stand by, as Chen supporters gather outside courthouse
<LI _extended="true">Prosecutors: Chen embezzled 600 million New Taiwan dollars (U.S. $17.7 million)
Former first lady also was convicted last week of lying to prosecutors


updated 2 hours, 58 minutes ago



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TAIPEI, Taiwan (CNN) -- Former Taiwan President Chen Shui-bian and his wife, former first lady Wu Shu-chen, were convicted Friday on corruption and money laundering charges and sentenced to life in prison, according to officials at Taipei City Court.
http://i2.cdn.turner.com/cnn/2009/WORLD/asiapcf/09/11/taiwan.chen/art.chen.afp.gi.jpg Former Taiwan president Chen Shui-bian walks inside the Taipei Detention Centre in Tucheng on Friday.



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They also were fined 200 million New Taiwan dollars (U.S.$6.1 million).
Last week a court sentenced Wu to a year in prison for lying to prosecutors in her husband's corruption case. She was convicted on charges that she helped her son, daughter and son-in-law provide false testimony. The others were each sentenced to six months in jail.
Prosecutors said the former first couple's son has a Swiss bank account with $22 million they think are illegal proceeds.
Chen was not at the courthouse when the verdict was read. He had asked to be excused and was being held at a detention center.
He has denied wrongdoing and said the charges were politically motivated by his successor, Ma Ying-jeou. Chen's party favors independence for Taiwan, while Ma favors closer ties with mainland China.
Supporters gathered outside the courthouse hours before the verdict, wearing bright-green shirts and carrying yellow balloons and banners. Riot police stood by in case the crowd got out of control as they protested the verdict.
The former president's corruption trial -- the first for a former head of state -- began in March and has gripped the island for months.
Prosecutors said Chen embezzled 600 million New Taiwan dollars (U.S.$17.7 million), took bribes, laundered money and illegally removed classified documents from the president's office. The challenge for them was to prove Chen handed out political favors in exchange for money.

Chen has countered that the bribe money was actually political donations. He has also said that a special presidential fund from which he is accused of embezzling does not clearly say what the money can and cannot be used for. E-mail to a friend (http://www.militaryphotos.net/forums/#) http://i.cdn.turner.com/cnn/.element/img/2.0/mosaic/util/email.gif


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Journalist Yin Chen contributed to this report.


http://www.cnn.com/2009/WORLD/asiapcf/09/11/taiwan.chen/index.html

[hskywalker]

All politicians are corrupt, stupid ones get on the wrong ship and face the consequences.

[Zook]

Anyone who has studied Taiwan at university knows how much hope and promise everyone had for Chen-Shui Bien, he was a breath of fresh air and a new direction for Taiwan after decades of KMT rule.

It's a damn shame he turned out to be such a crook.

[BearInBunnySuit]

What are the chances that they will be pardoned and their sentences commuted?

[Solvent]

Remember the suspicious gun shot when he ran for the second term.

Do you believe he actually hired the shooter to do that?

[King of the Grey]

serves him right for completely ruining the society of Taiwan for the sake of "ideology"...

[Ordie]

If a former Chinese head of state can be prosecuted, tried and sentenced for corruption under the rule of law, then there is hope for Chinese democratic society at large.

[maoddd]

Remember the suspicious gun shot when he ran for the second term.

Do you believe he actually hired the shooter to do that?
Yes, I do.

What are the chances that they will be pardoned and their sentences commuted?
hmmm, maybe shorter time behind the bars, they still have more than enough money and support to 'play'.
but I don't think there will be any pardon.




and here comes ordie with his grudge for china. again

[LazerLordz]

If a former Chinese head of state can be prosecuted, tried and sentenced for corruption under the rule of law, then there is hope for Chinese democratic society at large.

I'd agree.

[lostlamb]

If a former Chinese head of state can be prosecuted, tried and sentenced for corruption under the rule of law, then there is hope for Chinese democratic society at large.

I hope mainland will follow:-(

[TheMiddlePath]

Remember the suspicious gun shot when he ran for the second term.

Do you believe he actually hired the shooter to do that?


He pretended to be shot, then rush to his private hospital bypassing another hospital nearby, then cut himself across the stomach to make it look like a shot wound.

After fooling KTM's candidate Lien Chen, he declare a national alert and mobolized the mainly pro KTM national army (And preventing them from voting). And won with the slimmest of margin.

[TheMiddlePath]

All politicians are corrupt, stupid ones get on the wrong ship and face the consequences.


I would not call him stupid. He is so smart he smuggled his loot out of the country under the nose of the entire Taiwan press.

Remember how he planned a diplomatic trip to one of the small money lanundering island country in the middle of his corruption investigation. He planned to used Taiwan's Air force one which means his luggages will not be open. The entire press and country was watching his every move with camera zoomed at Taiwan Air force one to capture everything going in and out.

Then instead he secrectly invite the head of state of the island country to Taiwan, then passed all his loot to him. The head of state then returned to his country will all his lugguages and loot. It was only after all was done that someone notice why a head of state visit to Taiwan was not announced. Usually any Head of state visit would be a big event.

I do not think we have seen the last of him.
Last I heard he had planned to let his wife admitted all the wrong doing and get himself accuited. Now his wife is handicapped and in a wheelchair and chances are she will not go to jail.

[matthew.manhorn]

If a former Chinese head of state can be prosecuted, tried and sentenced for corruption under the rule of law, then there is hope for Chinese democratic society at large.

Cuz Chen is a local Taiwanese. I've yet to see the KMT apologizing / denouncing Chian Kai Shek's atrocities and corruption scandal. (Besides Lee Den Fei beacuse he's a Japanese).

Still Kudos to the free media in Taiwan.

[Hongjian]

If a former Chinese head of state can be prosecuted, tried and sentenced for corruption under the rule of law, then there is hope for Chinese democratic society at large.


I would say exactly the opposite. Sorry.

Why the hell is Chen Shui Bian only been prosecuted now, after he completely lost his power? Why wasnt the free media and the opposition pushing for his prosecution when he was still in power and had his political influence? As far as I know, he committed his crimes and corruptions before and during his administration. THIS would be a real prove for democratic maturity - A free society that can challenge and control those in power, when they are still strong and influencial, and not when they are dethroned and weak.
So, even as a loyal mainlander who doesent like Chen because of his radical independence ideology, I would say all of this reeks pretty fishy and looks like a typical case of victor's justice: Now that he has lost his grip on power and his influence on the media and judicary, it is easy for the ones now in power to find his dirty linen. If he has committed so many and so serious crimes that justifies a life-sentence, I would say the judgement is very very late.
So why exactly now?! And why exactly so late?!

All of this reminds me more of a typical Chinese-styled power-struggle and leadership-practice, where a emperor who lost all his power cannot expect any mercy by the new rulers, but only capture, debasement and death. Thats why most of them fled to backwater provinces or committed suicide right away.
In a real western Democracy, the rulers who lost their power, even by a collective and forcible deselection by the political opposition (kollektives Misstrauensvotum in german) could feel safe from malicious prosecution and victor's justice. Instead they are invited to TV-shows and are writing bestseller books (or are working for powerful russian energy-companies).


So Ordie and all the Taiwanese friends here, sorry to destroy you hopes, for I'm still thinking that we asians have still a long way to go in terms of not only democracy, but also in terms of basic, civilized handling and treatment of our political enemies and dissents in general.
No politician and man of power should be forced into jail or into commiting suicide for his crimes ONLY AFTER HE HAS LOST HIS POWER. If we want to have a working 'rule-of-law' (ohmygod) and indepentend judicary, criminals should be prosecuted right away, without difference of power and status!

Or just simply leave it at all.

[Ordie]

So Ordie and all the Taiwanese friends here, sorry to destroy you hopes, for I'm still thinking that we asians have still a long way to go in terms of not only democracy, but also in terms of basic, civilized handling and treatment of our political enemies and dissents in general.
No politician and man of power should be forced into jail or into commiting suicide for his crimes ONLY AFTER HE HAS LOST HIS POWER. If we want to have a working 'rule-of-law' (ohmygod) and indepentend judicary, criminals should be prosecuted right away, without difference of power and status!

Or just simply leave it at all.

Hongjian,

Even former global heads of states enjoy some de-facto immunity. It took almost a decade for many Latin American Junta members to be prosecuted and charged only to receive a house arrest sentence.

What makes this trial and sentence unique is that it happened in Asia where former heads of states (Deng Xiao Peng, Lee Kwan Yew, Mohathir Mohhamed) are still revered and enjoy some presidential privilege.

If anything, it sends a powerful message to any political leader of the ROC that they are not infallible. I would not be surprised if president Ma will be subject to criminal investigation over the lack of responce to the typhoon hit areas.

Let's see what happens next......

[TheMiddlePath]

If a former Chinese head of state can be prosecuted, tried and sentenced for corruption under the rule of law, then there is hope for Chinese democratic society at large.

Fighting corruption is like a double edge sword. Even MYJ was indicted but later acquited. Malaysia, Anwar Ibrahim call for fight against corruption but was himself jailed for corruption. Same as for Philippines for Estrada.

All man are corrupted. If any of you posters out there are without fault you can cast the first stone.

Fight corruption by all means but fighting the root cause of corruption is more important.
How the heck this CSB got elected in the first place should be your first question....right ?

[TheMiddlePath]

Hongjian,

Even former global heads of states enjoy some de-facto immunity. It took almost a decade for many Latin American Junta members to be prosecuted and charged only to receive a house arrest sentence.

What makes this trial and sentence unique is that it happened in Asia where former heads of states (Deng Xiao Peng, Lee Kwan Yew, Mohathir Mohhamed) are still revered and enjoy some presidential privilege.

If anything, it sends a powerful message to any political leader of the ROC that they are not infallible. I would not be surprised if president Ma will be subject to criminal investigation over the lack of responce to the typhoon hit areas.

Let's see what happens next......


What about legalised corruption ? Eg Oil man donate millions to congressman to get elected. Then congressman give tax break to the oil man in returned. Oil man makes 11billion and donate even more to the congressman.

[Hongjian]

Hongjian,

Even former global heads of states enjoy some de-facto immunity. It took almost a decade for many Latin American Junta members to be prosecuted and charged only to receive a house arrest sentence.

What makes this trial and sentence unique is that it happened in Asia where former heads of states (Deng Xiao Peng, Lee Kwan Yew, Mohathir Mohhamed) are still revered and enjoy some presidential privilege.

If anything, it sends a powerful message to any political leader of the ROC that they are not infallible. I would not be surprised if president Ma will be subject to criminal investigation over the lack of responce to the typhoon hit areas.

Let's see what happens next......

Yeah thats true. Let's see what's next.

In case of the Latin-American democracies who sentenced their former Dictators only after decades, one could say that there are quite a few sympatisants of their former regime, dragging the prosecution for some time. But also this is one of the main differences between Asian Democracies and Western Democracies: In the Asian Democracy a former statesman and politician, not to say a former dictator, who was being brought down by an deselection or a coup, wouldnt be treated so nicely.
A democratic politician would have been sentenced for prison or being fined alot of money etc. but a dictator couldn't just relax and say 'well, sh*t happens. sorry guys for being mean to you back then...' and hope for some kind of merciful house-arrest, writing books and memoirs about his life as awesome dictator and whatnot, while people simply ignore him.
No, in Asia a former dictator would have to fear a very painful and humilating death by toture along with his family, every living relative and any of his former comrades (everyone that gained profit from his dictatorship) - no 'King's Mercy' a là Sultan Saladin here. He and his clique would be skinned, burned, impaled, beheaded and ripped apart etc. BY the succeding Democrats and the democratic people, because politics is taken personally in Asia and not just a matter of business like in the western world. And personal affairs are treaded with a cold and brutal vendetta.

Thats why our Chinese leaders are fearing a successful rebellion so badly - they know that they wont be able to write memoirs as soon as they are dethroned. They know it because they did exactly the same to their predecessors during the insane political campaigns.

So, if Taiwan proves anything, then it's still the immaturity of a Chinese Democracy.

[Ordie]

So, if Taiwan proves anything, then it's still the immaturity of a Chinese Democracy.

It's a start and takes a while.

It wasn't until the 1890's when the Progressive Movement http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Progressive_Era created strong institutional changes to mitigate political corruption in the US.

[Soldat_Américain]

I fail to see the issue. He was caught, send his ass to jail with no conjugal visits. Stealing from your country is a huge crime.

[Hongjian]

I fail to see the issue. He was caught, send his ass to jail with no conjugal visits. Stealing from your country is a huge crime.


His crime is not the issue. The issue is, that he was the former president of Taiwan and this made him practically immune from the judicacy to get his ass handed to jail right in the moment people found out about his huge crime. Instead, by the fact that his ass is in jail after he has lost his position as prez, shows a lot of people that he was more a 'victim' of the traditional chinese victor's justice, ie. a victim of the denounciation and 'abuse of power' of the now ruling party.

And this is not how a claimed 'working democracy' should behave.
This is how a system behaves, that still couldnt cut its ties from their Chinese origin they hate so much.

This shows that Taiwanese are truely just Chinese with a different identity.

[Soldat_Américain]

I'm sorry but if the POTUS took that kind money out of my pocket I'd want him hung. If he's guilty he should be in jail, just because he was the head of state does not make him immune of being prosecuted for corruption and if so that is a corrupt way of thinking.

[Ordie]

And this is not how a claimed 'working democracy' should behave.
This is how a system behaves, that still couldnt cut its ties from their Chinese origin they hate so much.

This shows that Taiwanese are truely just Chinese with a different identity.

Last time I checked, the official title of the government on Taiwan is the "Republic of China".

It is always difficult to prosecute someone in office because one cannot get a fair trial due to on-going political bias. Finding an impartial judge and jury will always be difficult.

I think the Taiwanese did it right and focused on the crime than deal with the politics of the day.

[Hongjian]

I'm sorry but if the POTUS took that kind money out of my pocket I'd want him hung. If he's guilty he should be in jail, just because he was the head of state does not make him immune of being prosecuted for corruption and if so that is a corrupt way of thinking.


Well, of course. If someone committed a crime in a proclaimed democracy where rule-of-law and indepentend judicacy exists, then he has to be prosecuted immediately!

But in the case of Chen Shui Bian, he wasnt. Because he was still in power, when he committed his crimes.

But now as he isnt the head of state anymore, BAM! Suddenly there's giant media ruckus about him being a criminal which ends with a LIFE SENTENCE (!) in jail.

LOL. Why now? And why not when he was still the president? Considering the harshness of this verdict, one can assume that he did some serious crimes IIRC everyone knew about all the time.

Taiwan isnt supposed to be a dictatorship, where the ruler control the Judicacy and the Media to prevent them from digging out his dirty linen and to prosecute him for them.
And Taiwan is also not supposed to be a country, where the succeeding Party is abusing their power and control on said Judicacy and Media to 'kill off' a potential political enemy by using victor's justice.

No rule of law here, if you ask me.

[TheMiddlePath]

So Ordie and all the Taiwanese friends here, sorry to destroy you hopes, for I'm still thinking that we asians have still a long way to go in terms of not only democracy, but also in terms of basic, civilized handling and treatment of our political enemies and dissents in general.
No politician and man of power should be forced into jail or into commiting suicide for his crimes ONLY AFTER HE HAS LOST HIS POWER. If we want to have a working 'rule-of-law' (ohmygod) and indepentend judicary, criminals should be prosecuted right away, without difference of power and status!

Or just simply leave it at all.

Not sure if you follow TAIWAN politics. But investigation into CSB and his wife corruption scandal started when he was still President of Taiwan. By his own appointed attorney general.

[Ordie]

LOL. Why now? And why not when he was still the president?.

Until convicted, there's a presumption of innocence.

An investigation takes time to gather the evidence, witnesses and paper trail.

This is not the PRC where one is presumed guilty, extract a confession, show up at the trial where there is no cross examination and the defense lawyers role is to mitigate the punishment.

[TheMiddlePath]

Until convicted, there's a presumption of innocence.

An investigation takes time to gather the evidence, witnesses and paper trail.

This is not the PRC where one is presumed guilty, extract a confession, show up at the trial where there is no cross examination and the defense lawyers role is to mitigate the punishment.

Yes, Ordie there are problems with China's justice system.

Reminds me of Wen Ho Lee too.
Detained for 11 months in solitary confinement in chains. Forbidden to speak his native language, threaten with execution, lied to and put through a kangaroo court with trumped up charges.

[LazerLordz]

Most heads of states enjoy immunity from prosecution while in office, whether in practice or in the letter of the law. In most political systems (even outside Asia), any investigation usually happens after said leader has left office.

I'd not so quickly characterize victor's justice as limited to Chinese power politics..

[Ordie]

Yes, Ordie there are problems with China's justice system.

Reminds me of Wen Ho Lee too.
Detained for 11 months in solitary confinement in chains. Forbidden to speak his native language, threaten with execution, lied to and put through a kangaroo court with trumped up charges.

In the case of Wen Ho Lee, public advocacy groups and free media placed attention to bring attention of the lack of due process in this matter. If the roles were reversed in China, his support network would be under scrutiny, and would have been shot without any appeal

[TheMiddlePath]

In the case of Wen Ho Lee, public advocacy groups and free media placed attention to bring attention of the lack of due process in this matter. If the roles were reversed in China, his support network would be under scrutiny, and would have been shot without any appeal

In the case of Wen Ho Lee, the "Free Press" failed.

The "Free Press" wipe up a frenzy of anti Chinese reports creating an anti-Chinese mood in US.
Then politicians join in the band wagon demanding action based on "Credible" Media reports.
And Wen Ho Lee got indicted by the Fed.

Then 4 years on the press move on to another Target ....Iraq.
Another frenzy of Anti-Iraq reports.
And then politicians again demand action and congress launch Operation Iraq Freedom.

What happened to responsible reporting ...eh Ordie ?

[Ordie]

In the case of Wen Ho Lee, the "Free Press" failed.

The "Free Press" wipe up a frenzy of anti Chinese reports creating an anti-Chinese mood in US.
Then politicians join in the band wagon demanding action based on "Credible" Media reports.
And Wen Ho Lee got indicted by the Fed.

Then 4 years on the press move on to another Target ....Iraq.
Another frenzy of Anti-Iraq reports.
And then politicians again demand action and congress launch Operation Iraq Freedom.

What happened to responsible reporting ...eh Ordie ?
What you don't know is that the Wen Ho Lee case woken up the Asian American population to be politically active. Up until then, politios and the press written off the American Asian population to be political and socially meek.

When the Wen Ho Lee case occurred, organizations such as the Committee of 100, Tai-da Alumni Associations and Asian American Student groups became active, visible, and lobbied for due process. From that point on these organizations started to target media for Red Baiting and anti Asian bias.

In some ways, there are positive outcomes. It had politically woken up a segment of our population that needed to wake up and take noticed.