Prosecutors rejected Tuesday requests for plea bargains by several relatives of former President Chen Shui-bian involved in his corruption and money-laundering case. They are the former president's son Chen Chih-chung, daughter-in-law Huang Jui-ching, brother-in-law Wu Ching-mao and sister-in-law Chen Chun-ying. Chen Chih-chung acted as a proxy for the former first family's controversial overseas bank accounts, while Huang, Wu and Chen Chun-ying were some of the nominal account holders. Lin Che-hui, a prosecutor from the Special Investigation Division of the Supreme Prosecutors Office, told a Taipei District Court hearing that the prosecution decided not to consider the defendants' requests because they played a major part in the money-laundering case and are still under investigation in other related cases. The fact that Chen Chih-chung and his wife Huang Jui-ching have so far not wired the overseas funds back to Taiwan is another reason why their requests were turned down, prosecutorial sources said. 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 term as president from 2000 to 2008. They are also charged with accepting bribes totaling NT$300 million in connection with a land deal between the Hsinchu Science Park and Dayu Development Corp. and with receiving kickbacks totaling NT$90.93 million between 2002 and 2003 to help a contractor win the tender to build the Nangang Exhibition Hall. In addition, the couple allegedly took bribes totaling NT$310 million from former Taipei Financial Center Corp. Chairwoman Diana Chen and former Chinatrust Financial Holdings Co. Vice Chairman Jeffrey Koo Jr. The couple allegedly secretly stashed the funds overseas through various intermediaries, including members of their own family, all of whom have also been indicted for offenses relating to Chen and Wu. The court is expected to announce its verdict on Sept. 11. 