TAIPEI: Former "president" Chen Shui-bian, who has been convicted on corruption charges, was indicted again Tuesday on charges of abetting his subordinates to give false testimony.

Taiwan District prosecutors accused Chen of coaching Lin Teh-hsun, who served as a "Presidential Office" director during Chen's tenure, and three other aides to mislead prosecutors in August 2006 during an investigation into corruption allegations against Chen and his wife Wu Shu-jen.

According to the indictment, Lin falsely claimed during questioning that Chen had used a special "state affairs" account to fund two secret diplomatic missions, while the other aides untruthfully denied that Wu Shu-jen had ever used invoices provided by other people to claim reimbursements from the fund.

Lin was indicted for perjury in the case, but the other aides were let off because they played only minor roles, the prosecutors' office said.

Since Lin has already lodged an appeal with the Taiwan High Court against a 16-year sentence for perjury and embezzlement in another case involving Chen, his latest indictment will be referred to the same court for trial.

James J. Lee, a former chief of the Hsinchu Science Park, was also indicted yesterday for perjury.

The indictment states that Lee went to Chen's official residence sometime on December 30 or 31 2003 to discuss the difficulty Lee was having in acquiring a piece of land in Taoyuan for the Hsinchu Science Park.

Chen promised to help and instructed Wei Che-ho, then head of the "National Science Council", to allow the science park to first rent the land and then buy it, according to the indictment.

Chen and his wife obtained NT$300 million in kickbacks from the private owner of the land, according to prosecutors.

The prosecutors said Lee gave false testimony during the prosecutors' investigation of the case and during the trial, insisting that his briefing was to the first lady and that Chen was not involved.

Lee was found to have received a NT$30 million kickback in the land deal and was given a six-year sentence for corruption.

Chen, who has been in custody since December 30, 2008, and his wife have been given life sentences on charges of embezzlement of the "state affairs fund", money laundering and corruption.

They have both denied the charges and have appealed their sentences.

China Daily/CNA

(HK Edition 02/03/2010 page2)