Investigators probing the high profile murder of a naval captain in 1993 have barred a former naval officer and an arms broker from leaving Taiwan, it was reported Tuesday.
Hailing the move as a "breakthrough" in the investigation, the Taipei-based China Times said ex-navy commander Kuo Hsi and arms broker Chu Pen-Li have been ordered to remain on the island.
Police could not confirm the newspaper's claims as the probe team are under special presidential jurisdiction.
Details of the order came as investigators were reportedly wrapping up a separate probe into a kickback scandal surrounding a 2.8 billion US dollar deal in 1991 to secure the purchase of six French-built Lafayette class frigates.
Many have suggested there were links between the death of Captain Yin Ching-feng, former head of the navy's arms acquisition office, and the military scandal.
Yin's wife would not comment on the report when contacted by AFP, but expressed her confidence in the special investigation team.
The corruption scandal first surfaced following the murder of Yin, whose body was found floating in the sea off the east of Taiwan in 1993.
Observers speculated that Yin had been ready to blow the whistle on bribery and corruption in the military.
So far 28 people, including 13 military officers and 15 arms brokers, have been jailed in Taiwan on charges relating to Yin's death and the kickback scandal.
As yet no one has been directly charged with Yin's murder, although the navy's former commander-in-chief resigned to take responsibility for the death.
Three naval officers and a retired general have also been accused of inflating the frigate deal's price tag by 20 billion Taiwan dollars (643.7 million US), according to reports.
Retired general, Vice Admiral Lei Hsueh-ming was released last Saturday after being interrogated for 84 days.
Taiwan's President Chen Shui-bian ordered a new investigation into the affair in August after previous inquiries proved fruitless.
On Sunday legislator Lee Ching-hua of the opposition People First Party said Captain Yin had cautioned against the purchase of the frigates in a meeting with former commander-in-chief Liu Ho-chien, following a fact finding trip Yin made to France in September 1993.
In France, the scandal forced former French foreign minister Roland Dumas to step down as president of the constitutional council, France's top judicial authority -- TAIPEI (AFP)
© 2000 Al Bawaba (www.albawaba.com)
