Taiwan ex-spy chief faces probe
Tuesday, August 19, 2008
TAIWAN'S former top intelligence chief is facing a probe into the alleged money-laundering scandal implicating former president Chen Shui-bian and his family, officials said yesterday.
Yeh Sheng-mao, who has served as director of the Bureau of Investigation for more than six years until he retired in July, was suspected of helping cover up the scandal, which surfaced last week.
Prosecutors declined to comment on the sensitive case, but local newspapers said Yeh was to be questioned soon.
Meanwhile, the coast guard confirmed they had been ordered to report to prosecutors should Yeh attempt to travel abroad by ship.
"We received the order early this morning from prosecutors that Yeh's travelling had been restricted," a coast guard official said on condition of anonymity.
The official said prosecutors were expected to soon issue another order barring Yeh from leaving the island.
Authorities prohibited Chen from leaving the island and they raided his office Saturday as part of their investigation into the allegations. Both Chen - Yeh's former boss - and his wife Wu Shu-chen have been questioned.
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 31 million US dollars to her Swiss bank accounts in 2007.
AFP
Yeh Sheng-mao, who has served as director of the Bureau of Investigation for more than six years until he retired in July, was suspected of helping cover up the scandal, which surfaced last week.
Prosecutors declined to comment on the sensitive case, but local newspapers said Yeh was to be questioned soon.
Meanwhile, the coast guard confirmed they had been ordered to report to prosecutors should Yeh attempt to travel abroad by ship.
"We received the order early this morning from prosecutors that Yeh's travelling had been restricted," a coast guard official said on condition of anonymity.
The official said prosecutors were expected to soon issue another order barring Yeh from leaving the island.
Authorities prohibited Chen from leaving the island and they raided his office Saturday as part of their investigation into the allegations. Both Chen - Yeh's former boss - and his wife Wu Shu-chen have been questioned.
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 31 million US dollars to her Swiss bank accounts in 2007.
AFP
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