Wu Shu-chen
Encyclopedia
Wu Shu-chen or Wu Shu-jen ' onMouseout='HidePop("32166")' href="/topics/Tainan_County">Tainan County
(now part of Tainan City), Taiwan
, Republic of China
) is the wife of former President of the Republic of China
Chen Shui-bian
. Wu is the first and only First Lady of Taiwan to have been charged and convicted of a crime; she was sentenced to a one-year prison term for perjury
regarding political corruption
during her husband's tenure as President. Her sentence has however been increased to 17 and a half years, same as her Husband.
. During this time, she became better acquainted with her high school classmate Chen Shui-bian, whom she would later marry.
On February 20, 1975, she married Chen Shui-bian in Taipei
. Professor Weng YueSheng, Chen Shui-bian's academic advisor at the time, served as the marriage witness.
Since Wu's ordeal, Chen and his supporters have often directly or indirectly referred to Chang as a hitman possibly hired by the Kuomintang
to commit a political assassination
, as occurred during the martial law
era against the KMT's opponents. However, if the incident was really politically motivated by her husband's political rivals, then Chen, rather than Wu, should have been the target of political assassination. Even today, there is some controversy as to who was responsible for the episode, if it was an accident or an intentional attack.
, in which he libelled the Kuomintang
. Wu Shu-chen represented her husband in the election into the Republic of China's Legislative Yuan
. She was elected as the seventh of eight of the available seats. When Chen Shui-bian left prison, he became a special assistant to her.
Upon leaving the Legislative Yuan, she decided to not run for public office again, and instead, focus on the role of being a politician's wife.
There is also an investigation launched by Swiss authorities over a Swiss bank account bearing Chen's daughter-in-law's name: roughly $31 million USD was wired to the account from Taiwan and was then forwarded again to an account in the Cayman Islands
. Swiss and Taiwan authorities are cooperating in investigating whether or not there are instances of money laundering
committed by members of the former first family. It is unknown whether or not the wiring of the Swiss accounts and the wiring of campaign money overseas by Mrs. Chen are related.
Chen announced the following day, on August 15, that both he and his wife will leave the Democratic Progressive Party for good.
Chen Shui-bian
and Shu-jen, on August 15, resigned from the Democratic Progressive Party
(DPP) and apologized. Chen Shui-bian said: “Today I have to say sorry to all of the DPP members and supporters. I let everyone down, caused you humiliation and failed to meet your expectations. My acts have caused irreparable damage to the party. I love the DPP deeply and am proud of being a DPP member. To express my deepest regrets to all DPP members and supporters, I announce my withdrawal from the DPP immediately. My wife Wu Shu-jen is also withdrawing from the party.” DPP Chairwoman Tsai Ing-wen
also apologized to the public on behalf of the party: “In regard to Chen and his wife’s decision to withdraw from the party and his desire to shoulder responsibility for his actions as well as to undergo an investigation by the party’s anti-corruption committee, we respect his decision and accept it.” Taiwan prosecutors on August 16 interrogated Wu Shu-chen and asked to explain overseas money transactions. A Kuomintang (KMT) party member alleged that Chen's wife bought jewelry to launder money. Hung Hsiu-chu, KMT, charged that Chen's family opened 4 bank accounts in Switzerland
, with total deposits of 32 million U.S. dollars, which Chen remitted through his daughter-in-law, Huang Jui-ching.
On August 17, Supreme Court Prosecutor's Office announced Taiwanese investigators took away boxes of documents, after search of Chen's home in Taipei City, his office, and in Tainan City, at the home of his wife's brother Wu Ching-mao. Chen was prohibited by prosecutors from leaving Taiwan. Chen has $ 21 million at overseas banks held in the name of family members. Shih Ming-teh
, a former leader of Chen's Democratic Progressive Party
accused Chen of laundering at least $ 85 million from an entrepreneur bidding for bank ownership in 2005. Coast Guard Administration spokesman Hsieh Ching-chin said: "We received the order from the special investigation unit around 9:20 pm last night saying former president Chen was barred from leaving the country." Chen's probe concerns NT $ 14.8 million (US $ 480,500) in special expenses from the government, while he was president, and his wife is on trial for corruption and document forgery
. Prosecutors found at least NT $ 1.5 million had been spent on diamond rings and other luxury items for his wife.
Taiwanese judges, on September 19, 2008, denied prosecutors' plea to arrest Wu Shu-chen after she failed to appear in court for the 17th time citing ill health. Her attorney, Lee Sheng-hsiung stated: "According to the National Taiwan University Hospital
it could be life- threatening for Wu to attend court. This is a grave situation so my client decided to respect the hospital's advice." Chiu Yi
, KMT legislator said "the former family devalued the justice, they were the most shameless because Wu Shu-chen did not appear in the court for State Fund Affairs."
Wu was formally convicted and sentenced to a year in prison for perjury on September 2, 2009. In addition, Wu's son, daughter, and son-in-law also received one-year jail sentences of their own, but courts reduced the term to six months due to amnesty
rules.
On 2/18 2011, Wu was examained by the TaiChung
prison hospital and was deemed to be too ill to serve, thus she was put under house arrest but will not be jailed.
Tainan County
Tainan County was located in southern Taiwan. The name "Tainan" means "Southern Taiwan". Formerly a county of the Republic of China , Tainan County was merged with Tainan City at the end of 2010 to form a single special municipality....
(now part of Tainan City), Taiwan
Taiwan Province
Taiwan Province is one of the two administrative divisions referred to as provinces and is controlled by the Republic of China . The province covers approximately 73% of the territory controlled by the Republic of China...
, Republic of China
Republic of China
The Republic of China , commonly known as Taiwan , is a unitary sovereign state located in East Asia. Originally based in mainland China, the Republic of China currently governs the island of Taiwan , which forms over 99% of its current territory, as well as Penghu, Kinmen, Matsu and other minor...
) is the wife of former President of the Republic of China
President of the Republic of China
The President of the Republic of China is the head of state and commander-in-chief of the Republic of China . The Republic of China was founded on January 1, 1912, to govern all of China...
Chen Shui-bian
Chen Shui-bian
Chen Shui-bian is a former Taiwanese politician who was the 10th and 11th-term President of the Republic of China from 2000 to 2008. Chen, whose Democratic Progressive Party has traditionally been supportive of Taiwan independence, ended more than fifty years of Kuomintang rule in Taiwan...
. Wu is the first and only First Lady of Taiwan to have been charged and convicted of a crime; she was sentenced to a one-year prison term for perjury
Perjury
Perjury, also known as forswearing, is the willful act of swearing a false oath or affirmation to tell the truth, whether spoken or in writing, concerning matters material to a judicial proceeding. That is, the witness falsely promises to tell the truth about matters which affect the outcome of the...
regarding political corruption
Political corruption
Political corruption is the use of legislated powers by government officials for illegitimate private gain. Misuse of government power for other purposes, such as repression of political opponents and general police brutality, is not considered political corruption. Neither are illegal acts by...
during her husband's tenure as President. Her sentence has however been increased to 17 and a half years, same as her Husband.
Marriage
Wu studied at Madou High School and later attended National Chung Hsing UniversityNational Chung Hsing University
National Chung Hsing University is a university in Taichung, Republic of China . According to Ministry of Education rankings, it is the best university in central Taiwan.-History:...
. During this time, she became better acquainted with her high school classmate Chen Shui-bian, whom she would later marry.
On February 20, 1975, she married Chen Shui-bian in Taipei
Taipei
Taipei City is the capital of the Republic of China and the central city of the largest metropolitan area of Taiwan. Situated at the northern tip of the island, Taipei is located on the Tamsui River, and is about 25 km southwest of Keelung, its port on the Pacific Ocean...
. Professor Weng YueSheng, Chen Shui-bian's academic advisor at the time, served as the marriage witness.
Paralysis
On November 18, 1985, while with her husband on a trip to thank supporters after he lost the Tainan County mayoral election, the driver of a scratch-built farm vehicle ran over her three times. The driver, Chang Jong Ts'ai (張榮財), was a laborer known to local people as a supporter of Chen. At the time of the incident, Chang was beaten by one of Chen's campaign staff. Due to the seriousness of the accident, Chang was also imprisoned for a month. Chen later dropped the charge against him and accepted Chang's apology. This incident left Wu paralyzed and using a wheelchair.Since Wu's ordeal, Chen and his supporters have often directly or indirectly referred to Chang as a hitman possibly hired by the Kuomintang
Kuomintang
The Kuomintang of China , sometimes romanized as Guomindang via the Pinyin transcription system or GMD for short, and translated as the Chinese Nationalist Party is a founding and ruling political party of the Republic of China . Its guiding ideology is the Three Principles of the People, espoused...
to commit a political assassination
Assassination
To carry out an assassination is "to murder by a sudden and/or secret attack, often for political reasons." Alternatively, assassination may be defined as "the act of deliberately killing someone, especially a public figure, usually for hire or for political reasons."An assassination may be...
, as occurred during the martial law
Martial law
Martial law is the imposition of military rule by military authorities over designated regions on an emergency basis— only temporary—when the civilian government or civilian authorities fail to function effectively , when there are extensive riots and protests, or when the disobedience of the law...
era against the KMT's opponents. However, if the incident was really politically motivated by her husband's political rivals, then Chen, rather than Wu, should have been the target of political assassination. Even today, there is some controversy as to who was responsible for the episode, if it was an accident or an intentional attack.
Member of the legislature
In 1986, Chen Shui-bian was imprisoned because of a document in the Formosa MagazineFormosa Magazine
Formosa Magazine was a magazine created by Tangwai individuals in Taiwan during the summer of 1979. It opposed the Kuomintang's political monopoly in the Republic of China government...
, in which he libelled the Kuomintang
Kuomintang
The Kuomintang of China , sometimes romanized as Guomindang via the Pinyin transcription system or GMD for short, and translated as the Chinese Nationalist Party is a founding and ruling political party of the Republic of China . Its guiding ideology is the Three Principles of the People, espoused...
. Wu Shu-chen represented her husband in the election into the Republic of China's Legislative Yuan
Legislative Yuan
The Legislative Yuan is the unicameral legislature of the Republic of China .The Legislative Yuan is one of the five branches of government stipulated by the Constitution of the Republic of China, which follows Sun Yat-sen's Three Principles of the People...
. She was elected as the seventh of eight of the available seats. When Chen Shui-bian left prison, he became a special assistant to her.
Upon leaving the Legislative Yuan, she decided to not run for public office again, and instead, focus on the role of being a politician's wife.
Money laundering
On August 14, 2008, Chen Shui-bian called an evening press conference to admit to misstating campaign expenses in previous elections (two bids each for mayor and president), and had campaign monies wired to overseas accounts. Chen alleges that the wiring of the money was done by his wife and unknown to him.There is also an investigation launched by Swiss authorities over a Swiss bank account bearing Chen's daughter-in-law's name: roughly $31 million USD was wired to the account from Taiwan and was then forwarded again to an account in the Cayman Islands
Cayman Islands
The Cayman Islands is a British Overseas Territory and overseas territory of the European Union located in the western Caribbean Sea. The territory comprises the three islands of Grand Cayman, Cayman Brac, and Little Cayman, located south of Cuba and northwest of Jamaica...
. Swiss and Taiwan authorities are cooperating in investigating whether or not there are instances of money laundering
Money laundering
Money laundering is the process of disguising illegal sources of money so that it looks like it came from legal sources. The methods by which money may be laundered are varied and can range in sophistication. Many regulatory and governmental authorities quote estimates each year for the amount...
committed by members of the former first family. It is unknown whether or not the wiring of the Swiss accounts and the wiring of campaign money overseas by Mrs. Chen are related.
Chen announced the following day, on August 15, that both he and his wife will leave the Democratic Progressive Party for good.
Chen Shui-bian
Chen Shui-bian
Chen Shui-bian is a former Taiwanese politician who was the 10th and 11th-term President of the Republic of China from 2000 to 2008. Chen, whose Democratic Progressive Party has traditionally been supportive of Taiwan independence, ended more than fifty years of Kuomintang rule in Taiwan...
and Shu-jen, on August 15, resigned from the Democratic Progressive Party
Democratic Progressive Party
The Democratic Progressive Party is a political party in Taiwan, and the dominant party in the Pan-Green Coalition. Founded in 1986, DPP is the first meaningful opposition party in Taiwan. It has traditionally been associated with strong advocacy of human rights and a distinct Taiwanese identity,...
(DPP) and apologized. Chen Shui-bian said: “Today I have to say sorry to all of the DPP members and supporters. I let everyone down, caused you humiliation and failed to meet your expectations. My acts have caused irreparable damage to the party. I love the DPP deeply and am proud of being a DPP member. To express my deepest regrets to all DPP members and supporters, I announce my withdrawal from the DPP immediately. My wife Wu Shu-jen is also withdrawing from the party.” DPP Chairwoman Tsai Ing-wen
Tsai Ing-wen
Tsai Ing-wen is the current chairperson of the Democratic Progressive Party in Taiwan. Studying in Taiwan, the U.S and the U.K. Tsai earned an LL.B. from National Taiwan University, an LL.M. from Cornell University Law School and a Ph.D. from the London School of Economics....
also apologized to the public on behalf of the party: “In regard to Chen and his wife’s decision to withdraw from the party and his desire to shoulder responsibility for his actions as well as to undergo an investigation by the party’s anti-corruption committee, we respect his decision and accept it.” Taiwan prosecutors on August 16 interrogated Wu Shu-chen and asked to explain overseas money transactions. A Kuomintang (KMT) party member alleged that Chen's wife bought jewelry to launder money. Hung Hsiu-chu, KMT, charged that Chen's family opened 4 bank accounts in Switzerland
Switzerland
Switzerland name of one of the Swiss cantons. ; ; ; or ), in its full name the Swiss Confederation , is a federal republic consisting of 26 cantons, with Bern as the seat of the federal authorities. The country is situated in Western Europe,Or Central Europe depending on the definition....
, with total deposits of 32 million U.S. dollars, which Chen remitted through his daughter-in-law, Huang Jui-ching.
On August 17, Supreme Court Prosecutor's Office announced Taiwanese investigators took away boxes of documents, after search of Chen's home in Taipei City, his office, and in Tainan City, at the home of his wife's brother Wu Ching-mao. Chen was prohibited by prosecutors from leaving Taiwan. Chen has $ 21 million at overseas banks held in the name of family members. Shih Ming-teh
Shih Ming-teh
Shih Ming-te or Shih Ming-teh was a political prisoner for 25-and-a-half years in the Republic of China .He was arrested at the age of 21 in 1962 and charged with creating the "Taiwan Independence League" with the intention of overthrowing the Kuomintang government, Shih was sentenced to life...
, a former leader of Chen's Democratic Progressive Party
Democratic Progressive Party
The Democratic Progressive Party is a political party in Taiwan, and the dominant party in the Pan-Green Coalition. Founded in 1986, DPP is the first meaningful opposition party in Taiwan. It has traditionally been associated with strong advocacy of human rights and a distinct Taiwanese identity,...
accused Chen of laundering at least $ 85 million from an entrepreneur bidding for bank ownership in 2005. Coast Guard Administration spokesman Hsieh Ching-chin said: "We received the order from the special investigation unit around 9:20 pm last night saying former president Chen was barred from leaving the country." Chen's probe concerns NT $ 14.8 million (US $ 480,500) in special expenses from the government, while he was president, and his wife is on trial for corruption and document forgery
Forgery
Forgery is the process of making, adapting, or imitating objects, statistics, or documents with the intent to deceive. Copies, studio replicas, and reproductions are not considered forgeries, though they may later become forgeries through knowing and willful misrepresentations. Forging money or...
. Prosecutors found at least NT $ 1.5 million had been spent on diamond rings and other luxury items for his wife.
Taiwanese judges, on September 19, 2008, denied prosecutors' plea to arrest Wu Shu-chen after she failed to appear in court for the 17th time citing ill health. Her attorney, Lee Sheng-hsiung stated: "According to the National Taiwan University Hospital
National Taiwan University Hospital
National Taiwan University Hospital started operations under Japanese rule in Dadaocheng on June 18, 1895, and moved to its present location in 1898. The Hospital was later annexed to the Medical School of Taipei Imperial University and renamed Taipei Imperial University Medical School Affiliated...
it could be life- threatening for Wu to attend court. This is a grave situation so my client decided to respect the hospital's advice." Chiu Yi
Chiu Yi
Chiu Yi is a KMT legislator of the Republic of China . He is known to target members of the competing Democratic Progressive Party with charges of corruption and embezzlement. The now imprisoned former Taiwan President Chen Shuibian and his family members, Chen Zhenan and Zhao Jianming are the...
, KMT legislator said "the former family devalued the justice, they were the most shameless because Wu Shu-chen did not appear in the court for State Fund Affairs."
Wu was formally convicted and sentenced to a year in prison for perjury on September 2, 2009. In addition, Wu's son, daughter, and son-in-law also received one-year jail sentences of their own, but courts reduced the term to six months due to amnesty
Amnesty
Amnesty is a legislative or executive act by which a state restores those who may have been guilty of an offense against it to the positions of innocent people, without changing the laws defining the offense. It includes more than pardon, in as much as it obliterates all legal remembrance of the...
rules.
On 2/18 2011, Wu was examained by the TaiChung
Taichung
-Demographics:Taichung’s population was an estimated 1,040,725 in August 2006. There are slightly more females in the city than males.24.32% of residents are children, while 16.63% are young people, 52.68% are middle-age, and 6.73% are elderly....
prison hospital and was deemed to be too ill to serve, thus she was put under house arrest but will not be jailed.