TAIPEI, Taiwan -- Former President Chen Shui-bian's son and daughter-in-law have agreed to have the equivalent of NT$570 million remitted by local businessmen to their Swiss bank accounts returned to Taiwan, but it remains unclear how the transfer will proceed.
The latest agreement follows the couple's stated willingness to return another US$21 million in funds they deposited in Swiss bank accounts, funds that prosecutors suspect are connected to money laundering activities.
According to sources in the Special Investigation Division under the Supreme Prosecutors Office, the couple identified the flow of the NT$570 million in a deposition on Dec. 18 but agreed to have it returned to Taiwan only recently.
Prosecutors believe the funds, which have not been frozen by Swiss authorities, may be kickbacks from Taiwanese businessmen for preferential government treatment for their companies, but the former first family insists that the funds it funneled abroad were political campaign contributions.
The prosecutors declined, however, to confirm whether Chen and Huang have signed authorization letters allowing them to scrutinize their Swiss bank accounts and have the money returned.
In the Dec. 18 deposition, the couple indicated they were willing to discuss a plea bargain and have the US$21 million -- which has been frozen by Swiss authorities -- returned to Taiwan, according to sources.
Chen and Huang gave another statement on Dec. 30, 2008, in which they detailed their assets and bank accounts overseas and expressed their willingness to cooperate with prosecutors in the investigation.
Meanwhile, the Taipei District Court will subpoena the former president's wife, Wu Shu-jen, Feb. 10-11 to begin a series of pretrial hearings in the former first family's embezzlement and money-laundering cases.
Chen Shui-bian and Wu Shu-jen were indicted last December on charges of embezzling NT$104 million from a special presidential fund.
They were also accused of accepting bribes worth NT$100 million and US$6 million in connection with a land procurement deal and another US$2.73 million in kickbacks to help a contractor win the tender for a government construction project.
Moreover, they were charged with laundering part of the funds by wiring the money to overseas bank accounts through a series of proxies.
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