A Ray of Sunshine from Switzerland: Arrest Chen Shui-bian!

A Ray of Sunshine from Switzerland: Arrest Chen Shui-bian!
United Daily News editorial (Taipei, Taiwan, ROC)
A Translation
August 15, 2008


Yesterday Chen Shui-bian finally admitted that the Chen family does indeed have secret overseas bank accounts, and that they have transferred vast sums of money abroad from Taiwan. Only day before yesterday, Chen Shui-bian, speaking through his lawyer, claimed that his family did not have any overseas accounts. He claimed that all his assets had already been placed in a trust, and that they had nothing whatsoever to hide.

Today, a ray of sunshine from Switzerland traveled thousands of miles to Taiwan, and subjected Chen Shui-bian's Big Lie to the light of day. Federal prosecutors in Switzerland discovered that Chen Chih-chung and Huang Jui-ching (Chen's son and daughter in law) opened six bank accounts in Switzerland and other locales, using their own names and company names. In addition, the couple circulated over 30 million dollars through a company in the Cayman Islands. Swiss prosecutors concluded that the couple was laundering money, and froze their accounts. Once again, Chen Shui-bian has become an international media star. Once again, to invoke Chen Shui-bian's own slogan, "It's Taiwan's first time, and the whole world is watching!"

This latest development reveals two things. One. Chen does indeed have overseas accounts. Six accounts have been discovered in this instance alone. Chen and his wife also have a money-laundering operation in the Cayman Islands. Two. The sum involved is almost one billion NTD, in this instance alone. It is believed this sum constitutes merely a small percentage of the Chen family's assets. One can imagine therefore how vast Chen Shui-bian's assets must be. That Taiwan's "democracy" could permit such corruption is shocking.

Over the past two years, Chen Shui-bian and his family members have repeated time and again that they "have no overseas accounts," that all their assets have been declared. Now Swiss prosecutors have laid bare their lies. Chen Shui-bian must now tell a hundred new lies to cover up his original lie. Chen Shui-bian's first new lie is that the money transferred was leftover election funds.

Chen Shui-bian, seeing Swiss prosecutors officially initiating an investigation, knew he could no longer afford to stonewall. As a result, he confessed to a lesser crime hoping he might escape prosecution for far more serious crimes. Chen alleged that this huge sum of money was leftover campaign funds. Whether this is credible will have to await the prosecutors' decision. In any event, Chen Shui-bian has already pleaded guilty to at least three crimes. One. money-laundering. Two. falsely declaring election expenses. Three. receiving illegal gifts. The Special Investigative Unit can no longer turn a blind eye to Chen's crimes.

Of course, we can hardly take Chen Shui-bian at his word on the nature and origin of this money. If he is indicted for corruption, he will be serious trouble. Based on Chen Shui-bian's past record, skepticism is entirely justified.

Chen Shui-bian has already mapped out his escape route, and divided his troops in two. Let's look at the crime itself. One. He claims the money is leftover campaign funds. Two. He claims Wu Shu-chen transferred the money on her own initiative. He knew nothing about it. Three. He claims the money will be donated to international charities. Let's look at his spin control. One. He is attempting to evade prosecution by equating himself with Lee Teng-hui, Lien Chan, James Soong, Ma Ying-jeou, and Vincent Siew. Two. The biggest bombshell he dropped involved the Zanadu Development Corporation scandal. He claimed that Lee Teng-hui used dummy accounts to transfer one billion NT out of the country.

A Chinese expression says that "all crows are equally black the world over." It means that all criminals are equally evil the world over. That said, the public has been given a chance to see just how black someone like Chen Shui-bian can be.

Chen Shui-bian is like a trapped animal. Prosecutors haven't even begun to prosecute his State Affairs Fund case. Now his secret overseas bank accounts have been exposed. Chen Shui-bian would surely prefer to "shake the foundations of the nation" than allow the Investigation of his scandals to proceed smoothly. The public demands justice. But if Chen Shui-bian has any say about the outcome, justice will remain a chimera.

The Special Investigative Unit must investigate immediately. It must prevent Chen Chih-chung and Huang Jui-liang from leaving the island. If Chen Shui-bian is suspected of corruption or some other major crime, he must be arrested and taken into custody. Chen Shui-bian is a defendant with zero credibility and no sense of responsiblity. This is something the public understands. For example, in the State Affairs Fund case, Chen abused his authority as President and colluded with aides to fabricate a fictitious "Southern Front Project." His utter shamelessness is clear to see. If someone were to suddenly step forward and perjure himself, claiming to be the owner of Chen's secret overseas accounts, no one would be surprised. If that were to happen, the rule of law would be trampled into the dust, and justice abused. Furthermore, Chen Shui-bian and his wife are accomplices. If they are not promptly separated, how can one prevent them from coordinating their testimony?

Sure enough, the State Affairs Fund case is merely the tip of the Chen Family scandal iceberg. The overseas Swiss account is merely the pinnacle atop the mountain of gold that comprises the Chen Family's vast assets. The dawn rays from Switzerland have reached Taiwan. If we cannot restore truth and justice to the ROC legal system, how can we face the public?

Under the circumstances, we once again advise Chen Shui-bian to look into his heart and honor the rule of law. We further urge the DPP not to politicize Chen Shui-bian's corruption scandal. Of course we hope that the Special Investigative Unit and the courts will allow this ray of Swiss sunshine to transform our democracy, underscore the rule of law, and re-energize our system of justice!

瑞士射來的陽光：應考慮羈押陳水扁！
【聯合報╱社論】
2008.08.15 03:02 am

陳水扁昨天終於承認，陳家確有海外秘密帳戶，且曾由台灣匯去巨款；就在前天，陳水扁還透過律師宣稱，他家沒有海外帳戶，財產皆已信託，一切都可攤在陽光下。

如今，瑞士的一縷陽光從萬里之外射到台灣，射穿了陳水扁的大謊。聯邦檢察官發現，陳致中與黃睿靚在瑞士等地幾處銀行，以個人及公司名義開了六個帳戶，且與他們夫婦在開曼群島的公司，有三千餘萬美元的金錢流通。瑞士檢方認為涉嫌洗錢，已查封相關帳戶。如此一來，陳水扁再度成為國際新聞主角，又是：「台灣第一次，全世界都在看！」

此一最新發展顯示：一、陳家確有海外帳戶，而且在本案中就查到六個；且陳致中夫婦在開曼群島更有洗錢的公司；二、僅本案涉及的金錢即趨近十億台幣，相信這亦僅是陳家財產的局部，可以想像陳水扁的家產有多麼雄厚，台灣的「民主政治」居然是如此驚人的「營利事業」。

近兩年來，陳水扁一家大概說過幾十次「沒有海外帳戶」，所有財產皆已申報；如今這個謊話已被瑞士檢方戳穿，於是陳水扁不免要再用一百個謊話來圓這個謊。現在，後續的第一個謊言已經拋出，陳水扁說：那些匯出去的錢是選舉經費的剩餘。

陳水扁眼看瑞士檢方已正式成案，無可抵賴，於是避重就輕，把這筆巨款說成是選舉的獻金。這句話能不能信，要等檢察官作個判斷。然而，無論如何，陳水扁如今至少已自己承認犯了三種罪：一、洗錢；二、選舉經費申報不實；三、非法贈與。特偵組不能再置若罔聞。

當然，這筆錢究竟是什麼來路、什麼性質，並非陳水扁說了算；其中倘涉及貪瀆，那就更是代誌大條了。若從陳水扁的「素行」來看，這樣的判斷可以說是合理的懷疑。

陳水扁已在布置脫罪，兵分二路。就罪行本身言：一、說這些錢是選舉經費的剩餘；二、說這是吳淑珍自作主張匯出，他不知情；三、說這些錢將捐供國際工作。就政治操作言：一、他把李連宋馬蕭的選舉經費都拖下水；二、最勁爆的是，舉出李登輝在新瑞都案用人頭匯出了十億台幣。雖說「天下烏鴉一般黑」，國人可見識到陳水扁之厚黑至此。

陳水扁已陷於困獸之鬥。他的國務機要費案還未正式開場，如今海外秘密帳戶案又告爆發，可以想像陳水扁必將拚個「寧可動搖國本」，也不容偵審順利進行。國人期望的司法正義，恐將在陳水扁的操作中扭曲，甚至幻滅。

特偵組應當迅速偵辦此案，及時限制陳致中及黃睿靚出境；倘查出此案涉及貪瀆嫌疑，或其他重大不法，亦應當考慮羈押陳水扁。陳水扁是一毫無誠信、亦毫無承擔的被告，此為社會所共見；例如，在國務費案中，居然以總統身分與幕僚串供，掰出一個「南線專案」，此人之無恥可見一斑；倘若在海外密帳案中，又臨時找人頭偽證冒充金主，亦是可想而知。如此，司法即受踐踏，正義亦告蕩然。何況，陳水扁夫婦是共犯，若未能迅速將之隔離，如何防止串供？

果然，國務費案只是陳家黑幕之一角，而瑞士的海外帳戶亦當是陳府龐大家產之「金山一角」；瑞士的曙光既已射來，我們台灣的司法倘若仍然不能還原真相及伸張正義，將如何向國人交代？

處此新局，我們再次規勸陳水扁以廉恥心及法治觀念來面對司法，並再建議民進黨勿將陳水扁的貪案政治化；當然亦寄望特偵組與法院，能將這一縷瑞士射來的陽光，化作端正民主、彰顯法治的司法能源！