Taipei, June 25 (CNA) Opposition Democratic Progressive Party (DPP) Chairwoman Tsai Ing-wen joined a group of academics and social activists Thursday to initiate a drive calling for an end to what they argue is the “unjustified detention” of former President Chen Shui-bian.

“The detention lacks legal necessity and legitimacy. Through this action, we want to highlight the unreasonableness of the existing detention system,” Tsai said in a news conference.

Tsai said she hopes the drive will help muster the power of the public to promote reforms to the judicial system.

Co-sponsors of the action included former Academia Sinica President Lee Yuan-tseh, Taiwan Bar Association Chairman Wellington Koo, Judicial Reform Foundation Chairman Huang Jui-ming, former Awakening Foundation Chairwoman Lee Yuan-chen, and Academic Sinica academician Chen Chien-jen.

Also on the list were Chen Hwei-syin, dean of the College of Law at National Chengchi University, Academia Sinica research fellows Michael Hsiao and Chiu Hei-yuan, and Ku Chung-hwa, chairman of the Citizen Congress Watch.

According to a statement signed by the initiators, the court decision’s to continue the detention of Chen “seriously undermined the credibility of the judiciary.”

The decision, the statement said, was based solely on irrelevant grounds, such as that Chen has denied he committed any crime, that he has published a book while in detention, that he has accepted visits from foreign journalists, that he has applied to rejoin the DPP, and that he has claimed he is not in good health.

Although the alleged irregularities involving Chen and his family are “disappointing, ” his rights as a defendant must be upheld, according to the statement.

The former president was first detained Nov. 12, 2008 and released Dec. 13 following his indictment on charges of embezzlement, corruption and money laundering.

He was detained again Dec. 30 after the Taipei District Court approved a request by prosecutors to take him back into custody.

Rejecting Chen’s repeated requests to be freed on bail, the court ruled in March and again in May to continue his detention.

Chen and his wife Wu Shu-jen are accused of siphoning off NT$104 million (US$3.15 million) from a special Presidential Office discretionary fund during his presidency from 2000 to May 2008.

They are also charged with accepting bribes in connection with a land procurement deal and kickbacks to help a contractor win the tender for a government construction project. They allegedly wired and stashed the funds overseas secretly through various intermediaries.

The couple is still being probed on suspicion of helping several financial conglomerates acquire financial holding companies in return for “political contributions.” (By Y.F. Low)