Taipei - Taiwan prosecutors on Saturday questioned former first lady Wu Shu-chen, wife of ex-president Chen Shui-bian, over money laundering allegations.

A team of prosecutors qinterrogated wheelchair-bound Wu at her Taipei home for three-and-a-half hours.

Wu, already indicted for graft and forgery for embezzling 15 million Taiwan dollars (450,000 US dollars) during Chen's 2000-2008 term, denied any wrong-doing, claiming the family's overseas bank savings were campaign donations, her lawyer Lee Sheng-hsiung said.

The newspaper United Evening News said Wu is expected to be indicted in the coming days.

Chen's son and daughter-in-law are allegedly involved in the scandal. Nine officials, including a former vice premier and a former intelligence chief, are being held in connection with the allegations against Chen.

The former president's son Chen Chih-chung and daughter-in-law Huang Jui-ching were questioned Friday for allegedly funneling money obtained under dubious circumstances into several overseas bank accounts.

The couple claimed everything they did was at the instruction of their mother, Wu Shu-chen, but agreed to let prosecutors check their bank accounts.

Chen was detained Wednesday on suspicion of embezzling millions of US dollars under the pretext of using the money as a "secret diplomatic fund" to launch or strengthen ties with foreign countries.

He admitted his wife wired some campaign funds abroad without telling him, but insists he has not embezzlement government funds knowingly.

Chen has accused President Ma Ying-jeou, from the China-friendly Chinese Nationalist Party, of persecuting him because he supports Taiwan independence.

On Saturday, hundreds of residents from Chen's home in south Taiwan demonstrated in support of him outside the Taipei prison where he is being held. (dpa)