Former Taiwan president detained on corruption charges

Taipei: Former Taiwan president Chen Shui-bian has been detained on corruption charges, media reported on Tuesday.

Television stations broadcast pictures of former leader being led from a prosecutor's office in handcuffs.

The stations report that Chen is being taken to Taipei district court, where prosecutors are seeking an arrest order from a judge.

There has been no official statement from prosecutors on the case.

Chen faced more than five hours of questioning on Tuesday in connection with his role in an alleged money laundering scheme.

Earlier in the day he told a news conference outside the prosecutor's office he expected to be arrested in connection with the money-laundering case involving himself and family members.

The former first family is suspected of sending at least T$1 billion ($30.4 million) to Japan, the United States, the Cayman Islands, Singapore and Switzerland and other places, Taiwan newspapers said, citing the Supreme Court prosecutor's office.

Probes into the affairs of Chen, his family and aides have hurt the image of the main opposition Democratic Progressive Party (DPP), which faces tough local elections in 2009.