Speaking through a friend, former Hsinchu mayor Tsai Jen-chien (
Tsai, who had a romantic relationship with Chu for four years, was seen driving Kuo Yu-ling (
Cheng Kwai-yuan (
"The media churn out different stories each day as though they are leading the investigation," Cheng quoted Tsai as saying. "But truth will prevail. I hope to appear before prosecutors as soon as possible to clear my name once and for all."
Cheng briefed reporters after Tsai visited him at his campaign headquarters, where the two talked for an hour and a half. Cheng is seeking to retain his seat in elections next month.
Tsai did not comment directly yesterday but his friend Hsu Wen-ping (
But investigators said they have not decided when to question Tsai, or if such questioning will be necessary.
The former mayor expressed outrage at reports that painted him as a vindictive jilted lover who instructed Kuo to spy on Chu and tape her sex encounters to take vengeance on Chu's betrayal.
Through his former deputy, Lin Cheng-chieh (
Lin said it is not impossible for rival camps to engage in the practice to boost their campaign and that he had his car checked for bugs in before the Dec 1 elections.
Plagued by rumors about his romantic life, Tsai lost his mayoral post to the KMT challenger, Lin said.
Meanwhile, investigators said that more master VCD recordings Chu's private life are likely still in circulation, based on codified information in Kuo's notebook.
They said that Kuo is cunning and has been very uncooperative during the investigation.
She would not say what the entries in her notebook meant or where the video tapes are, investigators said.
Earlier, Kuo admitted to hiring a private detective agency in Hsinchu to install the hidden camera at Chu's Tamsui apartment, but insisted she did so at Chu's request. Prosecutors put her in detention Wednesday for fear that she may destroy evidence implicating her in the crime. She works as an instructor for a Buddhist sect and had been an good friend of Chu.
Several VCD manufacturers testified that Kuo approached them last summer, asking for NT$3.5 million in exchange for the right to reproduce the copy of Chu's sex encounter with a married man.
But they turned down the offer, casting doubt over the legality of the deal.
CLASH OF WORDS: While China’s foreign minister insisted the US play a constructive role with China, Rubio stressed Washington’s commitment to its allies in the region The Ministry of Foreign Affairs (MOFA) yesterday affirmed and welcomed US Secretary of State Marco Rubio statements expressing the US’ “serious concern over China’s coercive actions against Taiwan” and aggressive behavior in the South China Sea, in a telephone call with his Chinese counterpart. The ministry in a news release yesterday also said that the Chinese Ministry of Foreign Affairs had stated many fallacies about Taiwan in the call. “We solemnly emphasize again that our country and the People’s Republic of China are not subordinate to each other, and it has been an objective fact for a long time, as well as
‘CHARM OFFENSIVE’: Beijing has been sending senior Chinese officials to Okinawa as part of efforts to influence public opinion against the US, the ‘Telegraph’ reported Beijing is believed to be sowing divisions in Japan’s Okinawa Prefecture to better facilitate an invasion of Taiwan, British newspaper the Telegraph reported on Saturday. Less than 750km from Taiwan, Okinawa hosts nearly 30,000 US troops who would likely “play a pivotal role should Beijing order the invasion of Taiwan,” it wrote. To prevent US intervention in an invasion, China is carrying out a “silent invasion” of Okinawa by stoking the flames of discontent among locals toward the US presence in the prefecture, it said. Beijing is also allegedly funding separatists in the region, including Chosuke Yara, the head of the Ryukyu Independence
‘ARMED GROUP’: Two defendants used Chinese funds to form the ‘Republic of China Taiwan Military Government,’ posing a threat to national security, prosecutors said A retired lieutenant general has been charged after using funds from China to recruit military personnel for an “armed” group that would assist invading Chinese forces, prosecutors said yesterday. The retired officer, Kao An-kuo (高安國), was among six people indicted for contravening the National Security Act (國家安全法), the High Prosecutors’ Office said in a statement. The group visited China multiple times, separately and together, from 2018 to last year, where they met Chinese military intelligence personnel for instructions and funding “to initiate and develop organizations for China,” prosecutors said. Their actions posed a “serious threat” to “national security and social stability,” the statement
‘INDISCRIMINATE’: The drastic changes would delay many national projects as well as undermine global confidence in Taiwan’s resolve to defend itself, the premier said The Legislative Yuan yesterday on third reading passed the central government budget for this year, cutting 6.6 percent from the Executive Yuan’s proposed expenditure — the largest in history. The budget proposal, which the Cabinet approved in August last year, set government spending at NT$3.1325 trillion (US$95.6 billion), with projected revenues of NT$3.1534 trillion — both record highs — working out to a surplus of NT$20.9 billion. On Friday last week, the opposition-led legislature voted to cut NT$93.98 billion from the budget’s general provisions. During a 20-hour continuous session from Monday until yesterday morning, they continued to slash the budgets of government agencies,