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Wu Shu-chen: from campaign to court for Taiwan's first lady
2006-12-16
Wu Shu-chen, Taiwan's first lady who went on trial on corruption and forgery charges, was once her husband's biggest asset on his campaign trail to the presidency. Paralysed from the waist down and confined to a wheelchair -- the legacy of being run over by a van in 1984 -- she faces at least seven years in jail if convicted on the main corruption charge. Wu, the first president's wife ever prosecuted in Taiwan's history, stands accused of illegally claiming 14.8 million Taiwan dollars (450,000 US dollars) in personal expenses from state funds. That included around 1.5 million dollars worth of diamond rings and other luxury items, according to prosecutors. Chen was also named a suspect but escaped immediate prosecution because of presidential immunity. Raised by her doctor father and a doting mother, Wu wed promising-but-poor Chen 30 years ago despite strong opposition from her family. He first came into the public spotlight as a lawyer representing dissident leaders charged with sedition in 1979 when an unauthorized protest against the authoritarian rule of the Kuomintang Party turned into a riot. In 1984, she was hit by a van on a post-campaign stop to thank supporters after her husband lost his bid for Tainan county magistrate. Despite the infirmity, she was elected a legislator in 1986 when Chen was serving an eight-month jail term for accusing a professor of perjury. He first served as her aide in parliament after he was released, and then followed Wu into parliament, serving two terms between 1989 and 1994. He later was elected Taipei city mayor in 1994 and ultimately the island's leader in 2000. During the 2000 presidential race Chen projected the image of a loving and caring husband, carrying her during campaign rallies and events. In turn, she was praised for her outgoing personality and down-to-earth manner. Chen was re-elected in 2004 but his image has been tarnished by corruption allegations implicating himself and his family. In contrast to her woman-of-the-people image, Wu has been in the limelight in recent years for her taste for expensive jewellery and designer clothes. She is frequently attacked by opposition lawmakers for her interests in the stock markets, the luxury goods she often purchased for herself and family and for socializing with business tycoons. Four days before Chen won re-election in March 2004, prosecutors imposed a fine of 300,000 dollars on him for failing to report large amount of stocks traded by his wife. The feisty Wu insisted that she, like any other housewife, has the right to engage in market trading. She was also accused of accepting expensive gifts and vouchers in exchange for lobbying favours. In a separate case, prosecutors last month confirmed Wu had spent 277,000 dollars in vouchers but did not prosecute her. The couple have two children -- daughter Chen Hsin-yu, a dentist, and Chen Chih-chung, a doctoral student of law. Their son-in-law Chao Chien-ming was indicted in June on insider trading charges.
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