Taipe - Taiwan prosecutors Tuesday rejected requests by four family members of scandal-tainted ex-president Chen Shui-bian to plead guilty to money laundering charges in exchange for a pardon.

"The prosecutors insisted that my clients might have been involved in other wrongdoings and thus decided against accepting their plea bargain," said Yeh Ta-hui, lawyer for the ex-president's son, Chen Chih-chung, after a court hearing in Taipei.

This means if convicted, the ex-president's son, daughter-in-law Huang Jui-ching, brother-in-law Wu Ching-mao and sister-in-law Chen Chun-ying could be sentenced to up to seven years in jail on money laundering charges, officials said.

The four made the guilty pleas between February and March, and requested negotiations about possible pardons or lighter sentences with Taipei district prosecutors probing the case.

They were charged with helping the ex-president launder at least 36.6 million US dollars abroad.

The Taipei District Court was expected to hand down its decision in the former president's graft trial on September 11.

Chen, 58, president from 2000 to 2008, has been held at the Taipei Detention Centre since December 30 on charges of corruption. His trial began on March 26.

Chen and his wife were charged with embezzling 2.97 million US dollars in state funds, accepting 14 million US dollars in bribes, money laundering, influence peddling, extortion and document forgery during his two terms.

He has denied the charges, calling his detention and trial political persecution by the administration of President Ma Ying-jeou from the China-friendly Chinese Nationalist Party.

If convicted, Chen could face a maximum sentence of life imprisonment, court officials said.i (dpa)