AIT calls for transparency in former president’s criminal case

Written by Writer on Thursday, November 13th, 2008

AIT calls for transparency in former president’s criminal case

Central News Agency
2008-11-12 05:31 PM

Former President Chen Shui-bian’s corruption and money laundering case should be dealt with in a transparent manner, as it will build confidence in Taiwan’s young democracy, American Institute in Taiwan (AIT) Director Stephen Young said Wednesday.

Young voluntarily made the remarks at his biannual news conference, in which he told members from local and international media that not only Taiwan but the country’s friends from around the world will be watching how Chen’s case is handled very closely.

“We believe it needs to be transparent, fair and impartial, ” Young said. “Considering that it is conducted in that manner, it can then strengthen the confidence both here and around the world in your democracy.”

Noting that he sees this as “a matter for Taiwan’s legal system to resolve, ” the top U.S. representative in Taiwan said that it is important for any young democracy to build confidence in the judicial and criminal system.

The Taipei District Court early Wednesday morning granted a request by prosecutors to detain Chen and hold him incommunicado after an overnight hearing, making him the first person to have served as Taiwan’s president ever to be detained.

The decision came after Chen was questioned by prosecutors for six hours over allegations that he accepted bribes and engaged in embezzlement, fraud, and money laundering during his two-term presidency between 2000 and 2008.

The AIT functions as the de facto U.S. embassy in Taiwan in the absence of formal diplomatic relations between Taipei and Washington.