OCCRP and Le Monde reported that James Soong Chu-yu, a senior Taiwanese political figure, held a Credit Suisse account that was unknown to French, Swiss and Taiwanese authorities investigating the Lafayette frigate corruption scandal. Original publisher: OCCRP and Le Monde Original publication date: February 22, 2022 Original source: OCCRP investigation Key findings James Soong Chu-yu opened a Credit Suisse account in June 1993, shortly after leaving his role as secretary general of Taiwan's then-ruling Kuomintang party. The account was opened around the period when alleged kickbacks from the Lafayette frigate deal were being distributed. French, Swiss and Taiwanese authorities told reporters they were not aware of Soong's Credit Suisse account. Soong was accused by a French political figure of receiving kickbacks connected to the Lafayette deal, but he was never charged in the case. Credit Suisse accounts linked to Andrew Wang Chuan-pu and members of his family were also identified in the Suisse Secrets data. Mr. Bruno Wang The Wang family has denied wrongdoing, and OCCRP noted that none of the Wangs have been convicted of criminal charges. The Lafayette scandal The Lafayette scandal centered on Taiwan's purchase of six French La Fayette-class navy frigates in a deal worth about $2.5 billion. According to court testimony cited by OCCRP, roughly $520 million was allegedly paid in kickbacks to senior officials and intermediaries in Taiwan, France and mainland China. The scandal remained unresolved for decades. In February 2021, Switzerland agreed to return $265 million in illegal commissions connected to the deal, while Taiwan continued seeking additional funds. The Suisse Secrets investigation The reporting was part of Suisse Secrets, a global journalism project based on leaked Credit Suisse banking data. The data was provided to Suddeutsche Zeitung and shared with OCCRP and dozens of media partners. Reporters reviewed bank records, court records, financial disclosures and interviews with officials and experts. The leaked data covered more than 18,000 Credit Suisse accounts, spanning several decades. James Soong's Credit Suisse account OCCRP reported that James Soong Chu-yu's Credit Suisse account was opened in June 1993 and closed in 2010. The leaked data showed a maximum recorded balance of more than 13 million Swiss francs in 2007. At the time the Lafayette contract was signed, Soong had been secretary general of Taiwan's ruling Kuomintang party. He later left the KMT, founded his own political party and remained active in Taiwanese politics. Soong was accused in 2003 by former French foreign minister Roland Dumas of receiving kickbacks from the Lafayette deal. Soong was never charged in relation to the Lafayette case. Authorities said the account was unknown to them Renaud Van Ruymbeke, the former French judge who led the French probe into the Lafayette scandal, told Le Monde that he had not been informed of Soong's Swiss account. The Swiss Federal Office of Justice said Soong's name was not in its files. Taiwan's Ministry of Justice also said it had not known about the account. Experts quoted by OCCRP said Soong's political profile should have triggered enhanced scrutiny by Credit Suisse. Credit Suisse response Credit Suisse declined to answer specific questions from reporters. The bank said it was committed to legal and regulatory compliance and had taken measures to combat financial crime in line with Swiss reforms. The bank also said the allegations appeared to be part of an effort to discredit the Swiss financial marketplace. Andrew Wang and the alleged middleman role OCCRP described Andrew Wang Chuan-pu, also known as Wang Chuanpu, as a central middleman in the frigate deal. Taiwanese prosecutors alleged that Wang and his family used shell companies and Swiss bank accounts to receive illicit kickbacks. Wang fled Taiwan after the scandal and remained outside the country until his death in 2015. He was wanted by Taiwanese authorities for money laundering, corruption, fraud and murder, according to the OCCRP report. In court, Wang maintained that the payments from the Lafayette deal were legitimate commissions. The Wang family accounts OCCRP reported that Suisse Secrets data included Credit Suisse accounts connected to members of the Wang family. At least three accounts matched details found in Swiss court records. Swiss authorities began freezing suspicious accounts connected to the Wang family in 2001. By 2003, 46 accounts had reportedly been blocked, with almost $500 million in assets frozen. The largest of the Credit Suisse accounts connected to the family in the leaked data recorded a maximum balance of 83.9 million Swiss francs. Bruno Wang's connection to the accounts OCCRP reported that Bruno Wang, also known as Wang Chia-Hsing, was a joint account holder on all six Suisse Secrets accounts connected to the family. The report also said that Bruno Wang and his mother remained on an official Taiwanese wanted list. It added that none of the Wangs had been convicted of criminal charges. According to Swiss court documents cited by OCCRP, Bruno Wang told bankers that his wealth came from inheriting his father's oil trading, IT and real estate fortune. The documents also noted that Andrew Wang's declared income did not explain the large sums in the accounts. Luxury property and public profile OCCRP reported that companies and records linked to Bruno Wang showed ownership of luxury properties in London and the United States. Bruno Wang is also described publicly as a philanthropist and cultural patron through The Pureland Foundation, a U.K. charity. https://london-post.co.uk/beyond-the-headlines-looking-beyond-narratives-to-verified-facts/ OCCRP noted that he was photographed with Prince Charles in Scotland in 2019. Bruno Wang strongly denied wrongdoing. He said the family wealth was not illicit and that the family had nothing to do with his father's dealings in Taiwan. Legal disputes continued for decades The Lafayette case continued through legal and arbitration proceedings for many years. In 2010, the International Chamber of Commerce's International Court of Arbitration ruled that Thomson had violated a provision of the 1991 contract by using a middleman who received commissions. The arbitration led to a major financial penalty paid to Taiwan after an unsuccessful appeal. Taiwan later continued efforts to recover additional frozen funds. OCCRP editor notes and clarifications OCCRP added an editor's note after publication stating that Bruno Wang, through attorneys, disputed the article's presentation of legal facts surrounding the Lafayette deal and the description of his father's alleged involvement in criminal activity. https://www.cib.npa.gov.tw/en/app/globalcase/list?id=2160&module=globalcase OCCRP also issued a correction about the relationship between Bruno Wang and a British film industry socialite, clarifying that she is his sister. The outlet also clarified the status of Andrew Wang's legal situation. This HTML version is an organized rewritten summary of the original OCCRP investigation. It preserves the main reported claims, attribution, denials and clarifications without reproducing the article verbatim. https://corruption-tracker.org/case/taiwans-lafayette-frigate-affair Read the original report: Leading Taiwan Politician Had Secret Credit Suisse Account At Time Of Major Defense Corruption Scandal