Taipei- Two Taiwanese who changed their names to Chen Shui-bian when he was president have switched back to their former names as Chen is being probed for money laundering, news reports said Tuesday.

Chen Poh-jen, 62, from Yungho City near Taipei, changed his name in 2000 to show support for the new president and his Democratic Progressive Party (DPP), cable TV channel TVBS reported.

He donated 240,000 Taiwan dollars (about 10,000 US dollars) to the party, collected hundreds of Chen dolls and proudly displayed his photos taken with Chen, and his wife's photos taken with Chen's wife, on the walls of his home.

Chen stepped down on May 20 after two four-year terms, and is now being investigated for remitting undeclared campaign funds into foreign back accounts.

Chen admitted that his wife remitted 20 million US dollars into foreign accounts without telling him, but prosecutors suspect Chen is also involved in the money laundering and has barred him from leaving Taiwan.

That news prompted Chen Poh-jen to ask local authorities to change his official name again.

"I made a serious mistake in trusting this guy. I don't want to lose face any more, so I want to switch back to my old name," he told local officials, who granted his wish.

Another Taiwanese who discarded the name Chen Shui-bian is a 9-year-old third-grader in Nantou County, central Taiwan.

The boy used to be called Chen Shui-ping, but his mother changed it to Chen Shui-bian in 2007 as a campaign stunt when she was running for county magistrate.

She erected a huge billboard bearing the words "Chen Shui-bian Backs His Mom to Run for County Magistrate!"

Chen Shuai-ping became a celebrity in his school, as the pupils began to call him "Chen Shui-bian" and two classmates followed him around as his bodyguards.

Now that the real Chen Shui-bian is in trouble, Chen Huai-ping has changed back to his former name because schoolmates often tease him by saying: "Chen Shui-bian, how much money have you embezzled?"

Under Taiwan's law, a citizen can change his/her name twice, and can also change the name if happens to be the same as that of a convicted criminal.

Chen resigned from the DPP last week as the party was preparing to expel him. Some party members have suggested that they disband the DPP and form a new political party to shake off the shadow of Chen Shui-bian. (dpa)