Chiou I-jen held on graft charge

TAIPEI, Taiwan -- Former National Security Council (NSC) Secretary General Chiou I-jen was taken into custody yesterday for allegedly stealing US$500,000 from the government’s secret diplomatic funding.

The Taipei District Court ordered Chiou be detained early in the morning following hours of questioning on suspicion that he defrauded the Ministry of Foreign Affairs (MOFA) in 2004 in the name of a secret diplomacy project, code-named “An Ya.”

He could be seen wearing handcuffs, escorted by investigators, as he left the courthouse for the Taipei Penitentiary, where he is being detained.

MOFA officials were cited by the Central News Agency as saying that after Chiou had written a letter to the ministry asking for US$500,000 to be used in the An Ya project.

Without questioning the use — as it was a secret project — the MOFA then issued several traveler’s checks for the amount under the instruction of then Vice Foreign Minister Michael Ying-mao Kau.

The checks were delivered to Chiou’s office by one of Kau’s secretaries. But it is alleged that some of the checks were later cashed at overseas casinos, one of which was opened recently in Macau, announced the court.


Article Source: http://www.chinapost.com.tw/taiwan/national/national-news/2008/11/01/181234/Chiou-I-jen.htm