Three relatives of Taiwan ex-leader Chen Shui-bian Wednesday said they took part in money-laundering, which also allegedly involved Chen.

Chen's son, Chen Chih-chung, daughter-in-law Huang Jui-ching and brother-in-law Wu Chin-mao all told the Taipei District Court, on the third day of Chen's pre-trial hearing, that they had laundered money.

The trio said "I am guilty" when asked if they were guilty by the chief judge Cai Shou-syun. They were accused of assisting Chen in allegedly embezzling 104 million N.T. dollars (US$3 million) in public funds during his eight years in office.

Chen's son and daughter-in-law said in court that they would like to have a sum of more than 1.2 billion N.T. dollars (US$36 million) in their overseas bank accounts returned to Taiwan to assist with investigation.

The couple also issued through their attorney several statements. They would remit the overseas money back; they agreed to allow the police to look into their money flow in the Cathay United Bank; and they would turn in 600 million N.T. dollars (US$18 million) worth of funds and jewelry, on behalf of Chen's wife Wu Shu-chen, to prosecutors for further investigation.

Chen's son said after the court that he had decided to honestly face justice after a long time thinking and suffering.

"I regret it now and I hope the public will give us a chance to start a new life," said Chen Chih-chung.

He bowed to apologize to the public, also mentioning his mother Wu Shu-chen was preparing to face justice.

Taiwan media reported that the court would summon Wu Shu-chen on Feb. 10 and 11 to continue Chen's pre-trial hearings. Wu has failed to appear in courts on 17 successive occasions on the grounds of not feeling well.

At Tuesday's hearing, Chen Shui-bian's two close aides Ma Yung-cheng and Lin Teh-hsiun, both former officials in Chen's office, told the court they had not assisted Chen's alleged embezzling of public funds.

At Monday's hearing, Chen Shui-bian was accused of two more charges: blackmail and seeking profits on projects that he had not been in charge of. Chen rejected all the charges.

Cai Ming-jhe, a friend of Chen's family, and James Lee, the former chief of the Hsinchu Science Park told Monday's hearing they had been involved in corrupt dealings allegedly involving Chen. However, Guo Cyuan-cing, the former chairman of the construction firm Rich Development, who faced the same accusations failed to appear in court.

Chen is being detained in a Taipei jail and no date has been set for his trial.

Chen has been in custody since Nov. 12. He was first indicted by prosecutors on Dec. 12 for alleged money laundering and bribery while in office.

(Xinhua News Agency January 22, 2009)