Taiwan seeks extradition of fugitives from U.S.

Taiwan hopes to sign an extradition treaty with the United States soon to bring 75 fugitives hiding there to justice, officials said yesterday.

Justice minister Wang Ching-feng made the proposal to the U.S. de facto ambassador William A. Stanton during a meeting on Wednesday, a justice ministry official said.

Among the list of fugitives is former Taiwanese president Chen Shui-bian's family doctor Huang Fang-yen, who fled to the U.S. last year during a probe into his suspected role in Chen's corruption case, the official said.

Another high-profile runaway is tycoon Wang You-theng, who faces up to 30 years in prison for allegedly embezzling a record NT$73 billion (US$2.29 billion), he said.

Washington has remained a key ally and leading arms supplier to the island despite switching diplomatic recognition from Taipei to Beijing in 1979.

Currently, Taipei and Washington cooperate in obtaining and sharing relevant information and evidence under a Mutual Legal Assistance Agreement, according to the ministry.