Taipei - Scandal-plagued former Taiwan president Chen Shui-bian broke his silence Friday, asking the court to release him from the Taipei Detention Centre, where he has been held since late December.

Chen, who has refused to talk and defend himself since May, said there was no need to continue to hold him, given that the court had already completed its questioning of witnesses over a series of corruption scandals.

"If you (judge) still have a conscience, you should lift the detention order and allow me to go," he told Taipei District Court judge Tsai Shou-hsun.

Chen has been detained since December 30 on charges of corruption. He has requested the court to lift the detention order each time his two-month detention period is to expire. But prosecutors have insisted that he should continue to be held to facilitate investigation into a series of graft scandals implicating him and his family.

Under Taiwanese law, a court can hold a defendant for a maximum of two months, but for those involving serious crimes, the court can continue without limit to hold the defendant after the two-month period expires. Chen's current detention will expire on July 25.

On Friday, prosecutors said Chen must be locked up on the grounds that he could flee abroad if released. They said Chen was found to have kept huge assets abroad and had planned to live in the US for good after his retirement. Chen, however, denied he had any intention to go abroad.

Chen was charged along with his wife 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 four-year terms between 2000-2008.

Chen denied all the charges and has staged three hunger strikes to demand bail, but the court rejected his request fearing he might flee abroad. He dismissed his three lawyers in May and refused to talk and defend himself since then to protest against what he claimed political persecution by his China-friendly successor Ma Ying-jeou.

Meanwhile, hundreds of Chen's supporters rallied outside the court, demanding the release of the ex-president.

"Not guilty, release him immediately," shouted the protestors, as the ex-president left the court and was sent back to the detention centre, pending a decision on whether to release him.

Judicial officials said the court would announce the decision as soon as Monday. (dpa)