Yeh Sheng-mao, former investigation chief of Taiwan, was accused on Thursday for allegedly hiding information in a suspected money-laundering case related to ex-Taiwan leader Chen Shui-bian.

The "investigation bureau" of Taiwan was said to have received information from an anti-money laundering group on Jan. 29. The information said Chen's daughter-in-law, Huang Jui-ching, set up a bank account in the Cayman Islands and was suspected of money laundering.

However, bureau head Yeh didn't submit the information to prosecutors in accordance with official procedure.

Taiwan prosecutors launched an investigation and confirmed Yeh's involvement in the alleged cover-up.

He may receive 30 months' jail if found guilty.

On Aug. 21, Taiwan prosecutors said they would summon Chen and four of his family members for interrogation in regards to the case. Included were Chen's wife Wu Shu-chen, son Chen Chih-chung, daughter-in-law Huang Jui-ching and brother-in-law Wu Ching-mao.

They will also question George Liu, Taiwan's former "representative" to Switzerland, for allegedly delaying a notice of assistance for an investigation by the Swiss side.

Prosecutors found Chen's family had remitted large sums of money worth nearly 1 billion New Taiwan dollars (31.7 million U.S. dollars) to bank accounts in Switzerland, Singapore, Cayman Islands and other countries.

Currently, Chen has been barred from leaving the island, while his son and daughter-in-law left for the United States a few days before the money-laundering scandal was exposed by Taiwan media earlier this month.

(Xinhua News Agency August 29, 2008)