TAIPEI: The wife of former Taiwan leader Chen Shui-bian admitted yesterday that she pushed her son, daughter and son-in-law to perjure themselves over the past two years, during investigations into the family's alleged corruption and money laundering.

Wu Shu-jen reportedly made the confession while undergoing questioning at the Taipei District Prosecutors Office.

Prosecutors said she told them that she instructed her son Chen Chih-chung, her daughter Chen Hsing-yu and her daughter's husband, Chao Chien-ming, to give false testimony in the case arising from Wu's claims for reimbursements totalling NT$14.8 million ($451,219) from Chen's special "state affairs funds". It had been charged that Wu's claims were made on the basis that she had filed her claims using invoices taken from other people.

A spokesman for the Taipei District Prosecutors Office said later in the day that investigations into the false reimbursement case are expected to wrap up at the end of July at the earliest, thanks to the "cooperation" of Wu and her children.

The Special Investigation Division under the Supreme Prosecutors Office decided in mid-May to list Chen Chih-chung, as well as Chen Hsing-yu's husband Chao Chien-ming, as defendants after discovering that the two gave differing accounts during investigations into the false reimbursement case.

Chen Hsing-yu was listed as a suspect on June 3, making her the final member of the scandal-embroiled family to be involved in the corruption and money laundering charges.

She was banned on June 23 from leaving Taiwan after being questioned further by prosecutors.

All 14 of the others in the family, including Chen Shui-bian, his wife and his daughter-in-law Huang Jui-ching, have been indicted since 2006.

China Daily/CNA

(HK Edition 07/07/2009 page2)