Trouble in Taiwan
As if it were not bad enough somebody shot and wounded Taiwanese president Chen Shui-bian during his most recent political campaign, his wife, Wu Shu-Chen, is now standing accused of embezzling $450,000 in state funds. Other family members and friends have also been alleged to use their ties to him for illicit gains, most notably his son-in-law Chao Chien-ming who was arrested on charges of insider trading and embezzlement. In November, Wu was formally indicted, but the president himself seems to be wearing a constitutionally tailored Teflon suit, because despite the allegations of his connection with this and other graft, he cannot be charged with anything until his presidential term ends in 2008. Recently, lawmakers fell 28 votes short of the required two-thirds majority that would have instituted an island-wide recall vote.