The Ministry of Justice yesterday said that it would ask the US for mutual legal assistance following the death of fugitive doctor Huang Fang-yen (黃芳彥) in California.
A former family doctor to Wu Shu-jen (吳淑珍), former president Chen Shui-bian’s (陳水扁) wife, and former Shin Kong Memorial Wu Ho-Su Hospital deputy superintendent, Huang, 73, was found dead inside a car with a head wound, apparently from a gunshot.
A handgun, sleeping pills and signs of alcohol consumption showed that Huang likely committed suicide, police in Orange County, California, said in a preliminary report, adding that he probably died on Tuesday, US time.
Photo: Tsai Shu-yuan, Taipei Times
Huang was sought by authorities in Taiwan over an investigation into corruption involving Wu.
Huang allegedly helped her transfer NT$280 million (US$9.85 million) into overseas bank accounts.
After he was listed as a witness in 2008, Huang traveled to the US and has not returned to Taiwan since.
He was accused of helping Wu hide 75 jewelry items with an estimated combined value of NT$100 million from investigators.
Wu in 2009 was found guilty of money laundering, prompting the now-disbanded Special Investigation Division to list Huang as a potential defendant after he failed to respond to subpoenas.
Later that year, authorities placed him on the wanted list, a status that lasts until Jan. 22, 2034.
Prosecutors yesterday said that once his death has been confirmed, Huang’s case would be dropped.
Huang’s younger brother, Huang Chung-yen (黃重彥), a doctor in Taichung, confirmed the news of the death to reporters on Thursday.
His brother did not leave a will, he said.
“We spoke by telephone a few times recently and discussed the COVID-19 pandemic situation and its handling in Taiwan,” Huang Chung-yen said. “He played important roles in combating the SARS outbreak in 2003 and had concerns about Taiwan amid the current pandemic.”
The final call was on Sunday, when he expressed concern about Taiwan’s recent infections, Huang Chung-yen said, adding: “He said our nation is facing a medical crisis, but he has been marginalized.”
“I believe he was sad about his circumstances,” Huang Chung-yen said.
Huang Chung-yen said that he could not fathom why his brother would commit suicide.
Chen posted a message praising Huang Fang-yen, calling him “one of the unsung heroes when Taiwan fought to contain the SARS outbreak in 2003.”
“He called on Jan. 16 to express his condolences on the death of my mother, so it was quite a surprise to learn about his death 12 days later,” Chen wrote.
Democratic Progressive Party (DPP) caucus convener Ker Chien-ming (柯建銘) said “everyone who knew Huang Fang-yen was shocked to hear the news of his death.”
“He was a reserved, polite man, with a low-key manner,” Ker said.
Huang Fang-yen was investigated over the special presidential fund, which should have been dropped a long time ago, Ker said, adding that the DPP has introduced a draft on the matter and hopes to deliberate on it in the next legislative session.
Additional reporting by CNA
SEPARATE: The MAC rebutted Beijing’s claim that Taiwan is China’s province, asserting that UN Resolution 2758 neither mentions Taiwan nor grants the PRC authority over it The “status quo” of democratic Taiwan and autocratic China not belonging to each other has long been recognized by the international community, the Mainland Affairs Council (MAC) said yesterday in its rebuttal of Beijing’s claim that Taiwan can only be represented in the UN as “Taiwan, Province of China.” Chinese Minister of Foreign Affairs Wang Yi (王毅) yesterday at a news conference of the third session at the 14th National People’s Congress said that Taiwan can only be referred to as “Taiwan, Province of China” at the UN. Taiwan is an inseparable part of Chinese territory, which is not only history but
NATIONAL SECURITY: The Chinese influencer shared multiple videos on social media in which she claimed Taiwan is a part of China and supported its annexation Freedom of speech does not allow comments by Chinese residents in Taiwan that compromise national security or social stability, the nation’s top officials said yesterday, after the National Immigration Agency (NIA) revoked the residency permit of a Chinese influencer who published videos advocating China annexing Taiwan by force. Taiwan welcomes all foreigners to settle here and make families so long as they “love the land and people of Taiwan,” Premier Cho Jung-tai (卓榮泰) told lawmakers during a plenary session at the Legislative Yuan in Taipei. The public power of the government must be asserted when necessary and the Ministry of
CROSSED A LINE: While entertainers working in China have made pro-China statements before, this time it seriously affected the nation’s security and interests, a source said The Mainland Affairs Council (MAC) late on Saturday night condemned the comments of Taiwanese entertainers who reposted Chinese statements denigrating Taiwan’s sovereignty. The nation’s cross-strait affairs authority issued the statement after several Taiwanese entertainers, including Patty Hou (侯佩岑), Ouyang Nana (歐陽娜娜) and Michelle Chen (陳妍希), on Friday and Saturday shared on their respective Sina Weibo (微博) accounts a post by state broadcaster China Central Television. The post showed an image of a map of Taiwan along with the five stars of the Chinese flag, and the message: “Taiwan is never a country. It never was and never will be.” The post followed remarks
Proposed amendments would forbid the use of all personal electronic devices during school hours in high schools and below, starting from the next school year in August, the Ministry of Education said on Monday. The Regulations on the Use of Mobile Devices at Educational Facilities up to High Schools (高級中等以下學校校園行動載具使用原則) state that mobile devices — defined as mobile phones, laptops, tablets, smartwatches or other wearables — should be turned off at school. The changes would stipulate that use of such devices during class is forbidden, and the devices should be handed to a teacher or the school for safekeeping. The amendments also say
RSS