Thursday 13 November 2008

Once No 1, Taiwan’s Chen now inmate 2630

Former Taiwanese president Chen Shui-bian is now known as 2630. That is the number he has to use as long as he remains locked up in the Tucheng Detention Centre outside Taipei.

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Guanyu said...

Once No 1, Taiwan’s Chen now inmate 2630

Lawrence Chung in Taipei
13 November 2008

Former Taiwanese president Chen Shui-bian is now known as 2630. That is the number he has to use as long as he remains locked up in the Tucheng Detention Centre outside Taipei.

Mr. Chen, the first person to have led the island to be detained for alleged corruption, was placed under the centre’s custody following 11 hours of overnight deliberation by three judges in Taipei District Court.

He is suspected of embezzling NT$14.8 million (HK$3.5 million) in secret state funds, laundering US$21 million in funds abroad and accepting millions of New Taiwan dollars in bribes from local businessmen.

Mr. Chen, 57, was yesterday taken to the detention centre without handcuffs after he complained of being injured by court police, leading the court to temporarily suspend its deliberations over his detention and send him to a hospital for his condition to be assessed. Doctors said he merely had a strained muscle, probably caused when he held his cuffed hands up for journalists to see.

Prosecutors who questioned him for nearly seven hours on Tuesday asked for court approval for his detention, saying they were concerned that he might flee if freed.

Politicians from the pro-independence Democratic Progressive Party cried foul, saying it was highly improper to handcuff Mr Chen before he was indicted, but prosecutor Chen Yun-nan said it was a practice in line with Taiwanese criminal code to handcuff a major suspect and detain him for fear that he might tamper with evidence or flee. Mr. Chen was once chairman of the DPP.

It took just 19 minutes for a drive that normally requires 45 to take Mr. Chen to the detention centre. The police car carrying him was escorted by a motorcade of at least 20 vehicles.

More than 1,500 police were deployed around the detention centre to prevent Mr Chen’s supporters from disrupting the escort.

Inside the centre, Mr. Chen was stripped, like other detainees, and underwent a body search before being given clothing worn by detainees.

A centre spokesman said Mr. Chen was so exhausted after long hours of interrogation that he lay down after being admitted to a cell he alone will occupy, a choice he made instead of sharing with another inmate.