TAIPEI (AFP) — Taiwan's former top intelligence chief is facing a probe into the alleged money-laundering scandal implicating former president Chen Shui-bian and his family, officials said Monday.
Yeh Sheng-mao, who has served as director of the Bureau of Investigation for more than six years until he retired in July, was suspected of helping cover up the scandal, which surfaced last week.
Prosecutors declined to comment on the sensitive case, but local newspapers said Yeh was to be questioned soon.
Meanwhile, the coast guard confirmed they had been ordered to report to prosecutors should Yeh attempt to travel abroad by ship.
"We received the order early this morning from prosecutors that Yeh's travelling had been restricted," a coast guard official told AFP on condition of anonymity.
The official said prosecutors were expected to soon issue another order barring Yeh from leaving the island.
Authorities prohibited Chen from leaving the island and they raided his office Saturday as part of their investigation into the allegations. Both Chen -- Yeh's former boss -- and his wife Wu Shu-chen have been questioned.
Taiwan launched a probe into the money-laundering claims following similar moves by Swiss authorities.
Copies of Swiss documents obtained by Kuomintang lawmaker Hung Hsiu-chu showed that Chen's son Chen Chih-chung and daughter-in-law Huang Jui-ching transferred 31 million US dollars to her Swiss bank accounts in 2007.
Swiss authorities in January asked Taiwan to help investigate the suspected money-laundering, and Yeh was suspected of "concealing" that request, according to an initial investigation by Taiwan's justice ministry.
Chen's son and daughter-in-law flew to the United States less than a week before the scandal broke out. Chen said his son is there for academic study.
Chen has admitted that his wife had wired abroad 20 million US dollars from his past campaign funds, saying she had done so without his knowledge. But he has denied money laundering.
Chen, who rose to power with the nickname "Son of Taiwan" is already under investigation for allegedly embezzling 14.8 million Taiwan dollars (480,500 US) in special expenses from the government while he was president, and his wife is on trial for corruption and document forgery in the same case.
Chen has admitted using false receipts to claim money from the state, but insisted those funds were for "secret diplomatic missions" and not his personal benefit.
Nevertheless, prosecutors found that at least 1.5 million Taiwan dollars had been spent on diamond rings and other luxury items for his wife.
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