Taiwan president speaks to defend himself from corruption charges

November 6, 2006 Taiwan's president Chen Shui-bian has said that he had not made any money illegally and apologized for a corruption scandal involving him and the first lady, Wu Shu-chen. Speaking in an hour-long televised speech on Sunday night, he added that he would resign from the post if his wife is convicted of the charges filed against her.

President Chen's wife and three ex-aides were indicted on embezzlement, forgery and perjury charges on Friday. They were accused of skimming 14.8 million New Taiwan dollars (US$450,000) in corruption scandal in June, 2002.

President added that he and his wife are innocent and they did not take any money in the scam. He refused to resign from the post.

Taiwan's main opposition party, the Kuomintang has launched a third bid to remove Chen from the post of president. Party spokesman Tsai Chin-lung said that the party would formally propose the recall motion as they had sufficient evidence to charge Chen with graft.