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By DAVID BARBOZA Published: November 12, 2008 SHANGHAI — A judge in Taipei, Taiwan ruled on Wednesday that former President Chen Shui-bian of Taiwan be held in jail while prosecutors in the city pursue money laundering and corruption charges against him.

Skip to next paragraph Related Former President of Taiwan Is Detained in a Corruption Inquiry (November 12, 2008) Times Topics: Chen Shui-Bian | TaiwanMr. Chen, who served two terms as president before leaving office in May with his administration mired in a corruption scandal, was detained and led to court in handcuffs Tuesday afternoon after several hours of questioning by prosecutors.

The decision to keep him in custody, which was reported by Taiwan television, came after a lengthy court hearing on Wednesday.

Mr. Chen, 57, has denied wrongdoing in the case and accused his successor, President Ma Ying-jeou, and the governing Kuomintang, of a politically motivated attack. Officials of the Kuomintang, the Nationalist Party, insist that they have not influenced prosecutors in the case.

After being handcuffed on Tuesday, the former president paused briefly before television cameras, raised his arms and defiantly shouted, “Long live Taiwan!” and “Political persecution!”

The detention is the latest chapter in a series of political dramas that have been unfolding in Taiwan for a few years as the island’s two major parties, the Kuomintang and the Democratic Progressive Party, have bickered over relations with China and traded accusations of corruption.

Last year, Mr. Ma was indicted over the use of funds while he had been mayor of Taipei several years ago. The Supreme Court later cleared him of the charges, paving the way for his presidential candidacy.

Mr. Chen, one of Taiwan’s most controversial political figures, was first elected in 2000. A populist with a penchant for fiery rhetoric, he was known during his two terms for his strong opposition to Beijing and his insistence that Taiwan, which separated from China in 1949, was not a province of the mainland.

During his second term, prosecutors began investigating whether Mr. Chen, his senior aides and his family members, including his wife, were involved in embezzling millions of dollars in campaign funds. Mr. Chen’s son, daughter and other relatives have also been questioned; some have been named as defendants.

Mr. Chen’s approval ratings plummeted late in his second term, and there were huge protests in Taipei against his rule.

Mr. Ma, who took office in May, has pushed for closer ties with the mainland and opened the possibility of eventual reunification.

Last week, officials from Beijing met in Taiwan with President Ma and other high-ranking officials, in one of the highest-level exchanges in 59 years, though the meetings drew strong protests from members of Mr. Chen’s Democratic Progressive Party.

Mr. Chen has suggested that prosecutors are focusing on him to win favor from Beijing. In recent weeks, with his party under siege because of the corruption investigation, he has accused President Ma of committing treason and selling out the island by moving closer to Beijing.

Jonathan Adams contributed reporting from Taipei, Taiwan.