Taipei - Former Taiwan president Chen Shui-bian was being examined for head injuries in a Taipei hospital late on Tuesday, following his arrest and detention in connection with a corruption investigation. During a preliminary court hearing on Chen's case following his arrest on Tuesday, the former president said he felt ill because he had been hit on the head by one of the police officers escorting him to the court.
"The judges ordered that the proceedings (be) suspended and the former president sent to National Taiwan University Hospital for evaluation of his head injury," Democratic Progressive Party lawmaker Lai Ching-te, who is a supporter and legal adviser for Chen, said.
Prosecutor Chen Yun-nan, spokesman of the Special Investigation Task Force under the Supreme Prosecutor's Office earlier said that his office had "asked that the suspect be detained under the concern that if freed, he might tamper evidence over his role in alleged embezzlement and bribe taking."
Several dozen of Chen's supporters rallied outside the hospital to show their concerns for the ex-leader. A radio station host in southern Taiwan urged supporters to take to the street to protest what was claimed as "injustice and political persecution."
Elsewhere in Taiwan, some of Chen's opponents lit firecrackers to show their delight over the detention of the ex-president.
A highly controversial politician, Chen has been faulted for creating a deep political divide in Taiwan during his time as president, splitting the public into pro-independence and China-conciliatory groups.
Judicial officials said the task force made the detention request after questioning Chen for seven hours over his alleged embezzlement of 14.8 million Taiwan dollars (480,500 dollars) in secret diplomatic funds during his 2000-2008 tenure, a crime of which his wife, Wu Shu-chen, has been charged and is being tried.
They said Chen was also suspected of allegedly accepting bribes from local businessmen and laundering at least 21 million US dollars in funds abroad. Chen has said that his wife wired the funds abroad without his knowledge, but those funds were merely left over from previous election campaign donations.
Before being questioned earlier, Chen told reporters he knew he would be detained because the current government of China-friendly President Ma Ying-jeou and Beijing authorities "see me as their number one enemy as I am the biggest rock blocking their way to reunification."
Without saying a word about the allegations, he accused Ma of trying to put him in prison "as a sacrifice to appease China."
"I am very honoured and proud to play such a role," he stressed.
Ma has adopted a policy of engagement with China since he took office in May. The engagement has resulted in the two sides - rivals since they split at the end of a civil war in 1949 - resuming talks in June in Beijing, which was followed by a second round last week in Taipei.
The pro-independence camp has suspected the reconciliation between Ma of the China-friendly Nationalist Party or Kuomintang and Beijing could lead to eventual unification of the two sides in the future.
