Former President Chen Shui-bian, who was handed a life sentence earlier this month for corruption, was indicted again Tuesday for allegedly siphoning off US$330,000 from public funds. Prosecutors have accused Chen of embezzling the money under the pretext of conducting secret diplomatic work, according to Chen Yun-nan, chief of the Special Investigation Division under the Supreme Prosecutors Office, who spoke to reporters at a news conference that same day. The prosecutor said the ex-president was allocated US$100,000 by the Foreign Ministry on each of 11 official visits he made overseas between August 2000 and September 2006. Instead of returning the unused funds back to the Foreign Ministry as he was supposed to have done, the prosecutor said, Chen withheld US$30,000 each time and wired it overseas to pay the tuition and other expenses of his son Chen Chih-chung when he was studying in the United States. Also indicted in the case were former secretary-general of the National Security Council Chiou I-jen, who has been accused of taking US$500,000 in funds for secret diplomatic missions, and former Vice Foreign Minister Michael Kau, who stands accused of helping Chiou to get the money. Both men, who served during Chen's presidency, have denied the charges. The case stems from the prosecutors' investigation into Chen's alleged ill- gotten gains accumulated by him and his wife Wu Shu-jen during his two terms as president from 2000 to 2008. Chen has been detained since Nov. 12, 2008. 