The Taipei District Court yesterday ordered three more suspects in a feces attack on a Taipei restaurant to be held incommunicado over concerns that they might tamper with evidence, flee or renew their alleged attacks.
The three suspects — two brothers surnamed Lee (李) and another man identified as Chiang (江) — were arrested on charges of vandalism, public insult, extortion and injury after the court held a detention hearing earlier in the day, court spokesperson Huang Pei-chen (黃珮禎) said.
The court in a statement said that the three men said they had no rancor against anyone in the restaurant and that they had no idea about the restaurant’s background.
It said that they likely conducted the attack in exchange for money or were pressurized into doing so.
The court said it was necessary to detain them and hold them incommunicado, as they are suspected of carrying out the attacks just to earn NT$5,000, NT$10,000 and NT$35,000 respectively, and might repeat the offense.
Four male suspects in their 20s, including one identified as Mo (莫), who was the one who allegedly threw the feces at the restaurant Aegis on Xinsheng S Road, have been arrested over the incident.
Mo said during initial questioning by prosecutors that he threw the excrement at the restaurant in exchange for NT$15,000 offered by the other three, leading to their arrest on Saturday.
The restaurant, run by Hong Kong lawyer Daniel Wong Kwok-tung (黃國桐), employs Hong Kongers seeking shelter in Taiwan following pro-democracy protests in the territory.
Mo allegedly threw the chicken excrement at the establishment at about noon on Friday.
Footage from nearby surveillance cameras showed an individual dressed in black approaching the restaurant and hurling what appeared to be chicken feces at the cashier’s counter.
A female staffer from Hong Kong was allegedly splashed in the eyes with the substance.
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