Taiwan prosecutors question Chen's wife in probe

TAIPEI, July 11 (Reuters) Taiwan prosecutors questioned President Chen Shui-bian's wife at the weekend, a spokesman said today, as a string of financial scandals involving family and close aides threatens the President's rule.

The questioning of Wu Shu-chen follows accusations in parliament that she accepted department store gift vouchers worth millions of Taiwan dollars.

''We questioned First Lady Wu Shu-chen as a witness in the afternoon of the day before yesterday and the process took around three hours,'' Lin Ban-liang, spokesman at the Taipei Prosecutors Office, told a news conference.

''Prosecutors will continue their investigations in accordance with the law.'' Wu has denied any wrongdoing.

No details of the interrogation were immediately available.

The presidential office declined comment.

Lin said prosecutors had spoken to Wu, who is wheelchair-bound, at the National Taiwan University hospital in Taipei on Sunday after considering her health condition.

Taiwan media said Wu's health had been poor in recent weeks.

The news comes a day after Chen's son-in-law was indicted on charges of insider trading over a property firm, with prosecutors seeking an eight-year prison sentence.

Chao Chien-ming, married to Chen's daughter, was released on bail of 10 million Taiwan dollars yesterday after being detained since late May.

Financial scandals implicating Chen's relatives and closest aides have driven his popularity down to record lows, although analysts said he was unlikely to step down for now.

Opposition parties attempted to force Chen out of office last month, but parliament failed to pass a so-called ''recall'' motion.

REUTERS PKS HT1708