A lawyer for former Costa Rican President Miguel Angel Rodriguez says his client received money from Taiwan's government as a personal loan.
Mr. Rodriguez was arrested earlier this month amid allegations that he accepted bribes from Taiwan and the French telecommunications giant Alcatel during his presidency. He denies the allegations.
His lawyer says Taiwanese banks arranged to lend Mr. Rodriguez the money through Taiwan's government.
Costa Rica is one of 26 countries that have diplomatic relations with Taiwan. China and Taiwan have long accused each other of using economic and financial aid in a competition to win diplomatic ties with other countries.
Some information for this report provided by AFP.