TAIPEI: Former Taiwan leader Chen Shui-bian has been ordered to remain in jail as his trial on corruption charges goes forward.

A Taiwan court accepted the arguments of prosecutors that Chen poses a flight risk if set free and that he might collude with witnesses and other alleged conspirators in the case.

These are the same grounds under which Chen was ordered detained last December.

The decision yesterday comes 196 days after Chen was ordered held following indictment on a range of corruption offenses prosecutors say he committed during his eight years in office.

The court has twice rejected Chen's applications for bail. There are no limits under Taiwanese law on how long Chen may be detained.

The former Taiwan leader has refused to speak during recent court sessions in apparent protest against his detention and trial.

Chen, who left office last year after serving a maximum eight-year term, is accused of embezzlement, money laundering, accepting bribes, influence peddling and forgery. He faces life imprisonment if convicted.

According to a report in the Chinese-language newspaper China Times, prosecutors may file fresh charges against Chen.

Prosecutors said they suspected Chen had embezzled at least $300,000 from funds the government budgeted for his 11 overseas trips, according to the latest report.

Prosecutors have also been investigating Chen's role in 11 controversial overseas aid projects.

An initial investigation found that Chen had ordered the "foreign ministry" to pay $20 million to a group in the United States under what the "ministry" referred to as a "Latin America special project," the paper said.

Agencies

(HK Edition 07/14/2009 page2)