How Chen Shui-bian Helped the Yuanta Ma Family Acquire KMT Party Assets

How Chen Shui-bian Helped the Yuanta Ma Family Acquire KMT Party Assets
United Daily News editorial (Taipei, Taiwan, ROC)
A Translation
December 29, 2009

The Special Investigation Unit has handed down indictments in the Chen family's "Second Financial Reform Program" scandal. This wave of prosecutions is noteworthy in two respects. First, Chen Shui-bian waved the banner of reform. He demanded that the KMT divest itself of its party assets. But at the same time he covered up the Yuanta Ma family's acquisition of KMT party assets. Secondly, Chen Shui-bian began his crusade against corruption during his first term as president. The famous expression, "power corrupts," must be amended. As the Chen Shui-bian corruption case shows, "power corrupts immediately."

Toward the end of 2003, Chen Shui-bian was running for re-election. Chen Shui-bian and the DPP targeted KMT party assets. The Executive Yuan set up an "ad hoc group for the return of illicit party assets [to the government]." They used the power of the executive to apply pressure on the Kuomintang. The KMT, in an attempt to escape from its political predicament, secretly attempted to divest itself of its party assets. The Yuanta Ma family was interested in acquiring China Investments. China Investments held the rights to Fuhua Holdings. Its acquisition would allow the Yuanta Ma family to expand its operations. Party assets had become the target of public criticism. The transaction was extremely complex. And yet Chen Shui-bian was able to pull if off.

The Yuanta Ma family first contacted Chen Hui-Yu, a Chen Shui-bian relative and trusted go-between. During Chen's re-election campaign, the Yuanta Ma family gave 20 million NT in "campaign contributions," just to test the waters. Once Chen Shui-bian was "reelected," the Yuanta Ma family paid a visit to Ah-Bian and Ah-Cheng. The pretext was to congratulate them for their election victory. They used the occasion to ask whether they could acquire China Investments. At the time, Ah-Bian and Ah-Cheng replied that acquiring a controlling interest in China Investments on the open market was perfectly okay. But to buy it directly would be considered "an illegal party assets transaction." This was hardly what the Yuanta Ma family hoped to hear. If the Yuanta Ma family attempted to acquire a controlling interest of China Investments on the open market, the price of shares would skyrocket. The Yuanta Ma family's capital costs would increase substantially. Therefore the Yuanta Ma family attempted to bribe Ah-Bian and Ah-Cheng. It would acquire China Investments directly, and hope to pick it up for a bargain.

The Yuanta Ma family strategy involved two approaches. On the one hand, it would use DPP legislators. It would secretly install Wu Jie, an "industrial spy." He would run for the board of directors of Fuhua Holdings, demanding that the KMT divest itself of its party assets. Wu Jie would then be firmly in control of divestiture proceedings for China Investments. Angelo Koo of Development Holdings also hoped to acquire China Investments. Koo was in secret talks with the KMT, and appeared to have reached an accord. But in the end he failed, because Wu Jie leaked information to the Yuanta Ma family. The Yuanta Ma family immediately used Ah-Bian and Ah-Cheng's authority to intervene. Wu Jie was of course rewarded once the deal was struck. By the time the scandal was exposed, he had already fled overseas.

The Yuanta Ma family was aware of the progress of secret talks between Development Holding's Angelo Koo and the KMT. It knew if it did not act immediately, Development Holdings would snatch China Holdings from under its nose. Therefore it dispatched Tu Li-ping to the president's official residence, and asked Ah-Bian and Ah-Cheng for their support. Wu Shu-chen then revealed her asking price. Their support was available, for 200 million NT. By this time it was clear that Ah-Bian and Ah-Cheng's rhetoric about how "acquiring a controlling interest on the open market was perfectly okay" was nothing more than a smokescreen. What Ah-Bian and Ah-Cheng really wanted was money. Whoever gave them money, could buy any damned party assets they cared to. The crusade against KMT party assets was nothing more than election rhetoric. The DPP and the public were kept in the dark.

On the morning of November 30, 2004, the Yuanta Ma family delivered 200 million NT in cash to the president's official residence. Wu Shu-chen immediately "sealed the deal." She personally telephoned Angelo Koo. She said she had evidence Angelo Koo was dealing with the Kuomintang, that he was helping the KMT, and that therefore she would punish him. She then hung up. But Wu Shu-chen's "lightning bolt" failed to deter Development Holdings. Chen Shui-bian told Ma Yung-cheng to threaten the Koo family. He told him to tell the Koo family that their private attempts to acquire KMT party assets were illegal, and that if they didn't give up their attempt to acquire China Holdings, then even Development Holdings would encounter problems. At this point, the Koo family had no choice but to back down. Ah-Cheng and Ah-Bian had successfully helped the Yuanta Ma family privately acquire KMT party assets by means of illegal transactions.

This is the true face of Ah-Bian and Ah-Cheng helping the Yuanta Ma family acquire China Holdings. This is what prosecutors have now exposed. Chen's so-called crusade against illicit KMT party assets was nothing but pretexts for the First Family to rake in money. Is this not shameful? Is this not despicable? Is this not frightening?

Did Chen Shui-bian's corruption become as flagrant as it did only after his first term expired and he began campaigning for a second term? The answer is no. Chen Shui-bian was first elected president in 2000. Just one year after taking office, he began extorting money from Tsai Hong-tu of Cathay Financial Holdings. Tsai Hong-tu and Fubon Financial Holdings were attempting to acquire the rights to the United World Chinese Commercial Bank. That year Tsai Hong-tu paid Chen Shui-bian 100 million NT. For the next three years he paid the same amount. All in all he paid Chen 400 million in bribes. He squeezed out the once dominant Fubon Financial Holdings Corporation, and gained control of the United World Chinese Commercial Bank.

When we say "power corrupts" we usually mean that once people have been in power a while and begin to understand how to abuse their power, they are no longer able to resist its temptation. In other words, "Power corrupts gradually." But Chen Shui-bian was different. Chen Shui-bian was a case of "Power corrupts immediately." No sooner had Chen Shui-bian assumed office than he began engaging in wholesale corruption. Chen Shui-bian was different from most people. He was already on this path, long before he became president.

看陳水扁如何助元大馬家買國民黨黨產
【聯合報╱社論】
2009.12.29 03:47 am

扁家與二次金改有關的弊案，特偵組已提起公訴。這一波起訴有兩個值得注意的地方：第一，陳水扁打著反國民黨黨產的大旗，卻收賄掩護元大馬家買黨產；第二，陳水扁的腐化是打從首屆出任總統就開始的，「權力使人腐化」這句名言，在扁案應修正為「權力立即使人腐化」。

二 ○○三年底，陳水扁競選連任，當時陳水扁和民進黨鎖定國民黨黨產的議題猛打，行政院還成立了「政黨不當黨產歸還政府專案小組」，藉行政力量對國民黨施壓。而國民黨為了擺脫政治困境，正極機密地謀求出脫黨產。元大馬家有意買黨產中投公司，是看上了中投握有復華金控的經營權，買下即可迅速擴大事業版圖。在黨產成為眾矢之的的情勢下，這麼複雜的一筆交易，陳水扁卻仍然有本事促成。

元大馬家先是經由陳水扁親信陳慧遊穿針引線，在大選期間先送了二千萬元「政治獻金」以投石問路。大選後，陳水扁連任了，馬家再以道賀為名，拜訪扁珍，順便問明可否買中投。當時扁珍的答覆是：公開市場去買股票進而控制中投無妨，直接買則會被認定是「違法的黨產交易」云云。然而，這並不符合元大馬家的如意算盤，因為馬家若這樣做，只會造成中投股價大漲，元大馬家的投資成本會大幅增加。因此，馬家打算買通扁珍路線，直接購買，以期撿便宜買黨產。

元大馬家的布局分兩大方向：一方面，利用民進黨立委的管道，安插了一名「商業間諜」吳杰，以打擊黨產為名，出任復華金控官股董事的代表，進而由吳杰牢牢掌握了國民黨出售中投的動向。因此，也有意買中投的開發金辜仲與國民黨秘密談判雖幾乎達陣，卻功敗垂成，最終破局；就是敗在吳杰走漏消息給元大馬家，使元大馬家立即動用扁珍的力量橫加干涉所致。吳杰在事成之後當頗有報酬，但在本案爆發之際，早已逃往海外。

另一方面，元大馬家掌握開發金辜仲與國民黨秘密談判的進度，知道若再不出手，就要眼看著復華金控由開發金取得，乃直接派由杜麗萍前往玉山官邸，要求扁珍的支持；吳淑珍這時遂亮出了底牌，支持可以，但要價兩億元。至此，原先扁珍所謂「公開市場買股無妨」的說法，證明只是幌子；扁珍真正要的是錢，給了錢，誰愛買黨產就買黨產。打擊黨產云云，不過是選舉語言罷了；整個民進黨及全體國人皆被扁珍蒙在鼓裡。

二 ○○四年十一月三十日上午，元大馬家兩億元現鈔送進總統官邸，吳淑珍隨即「履行交易」。她親自致電辜仲，聲稱「有證據顯示辜仲和國民黨交易，辜仲是在幫國民黨，她會修理辜仲」云云，然後就掛了電話。但吳淑珍的「雷擊」還沒嚇退開發金；陳水扁乃透過馬永成，向辜家威脅，謂私「買」國民黨黨產「違法」，若不放棄中投，那連開發金控也會有問題。至此，辜家不得不撤退了；而扁珍也助成了元大馬家「私買黨產的違法交易」。

以上是檢察官揭發出來的扁珍夫婦助元大馬家買黨產中投公司的政治真面目。所謂打擊黨產云云的政治口號，在陳水扁夫婦而言，只不過是他們斂財牟利的題材而已。可不可恥？可不可恨？可不可怕？

再者，陳水扁的腐化，是到了第一任將屆滿、競選第二任時才達到如此腐臭的地步嗎？答案是否定的。因為，在陳水扁二千年首次當選總統，上任剛滿一年之際，就直接了當地向國泰金控的蔡宏圖索賄。索賄的由頭，是蔡宏圖正和富邦金控爭奪世華銀行經營權。蔡宏圖在當年付了一億元，之後又連付三年，共付四億賄款，因而排擠掉了原占優勢的富邦金控，拿下了世華銀行。

所謂「權力使人腐化」，一般的情況是掌權者手握大權一段時間之後，瞭解了權力運用的「巧門」，加上無法抵抗誘惑，才會逐步沉淪。陳水扁的情況卻是「權力立即使人腐化」，一上任就開始大貪特貪；若非陳水扁異於常人，就是其實在出任總統的更早之前，陳水扁早已深諳此道了。