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Chu to face questions over VCD

The former head of Hsinchu's Bureau of Cultural Affairs, Chu Mei-feng, speaks to reporters earlier this month. Chu is at the center of a scandal involving the video-taping and distribution via VCD of a woman the tabloid Scoop Weekly claims to be her, having sex with a married man. TAIPEI TIMES FILE PHOTO

Taipei prosecutors yesterday summoned former Hsinchu Bureau of Cultural Affairs chief Chu Mei-feng (璩美鳳) to attend a hearing with prosecutors this afternoon at the Taipei District Prosecutors' Office.

"Chu has been requested to attend the hearing as a plaintiff," said Chen Hung-ta (陳宏達), the spokesman of the Taipei District Prosecutors' Office. "Tuesday's meeting between Chu and prosecutors will focus on questions surrounding her charges against Scoop Weekly (獨家報導)."

Last month Scoop distributed a VCD which purported to show Chu having sex with a married man.

Chu has refused to confirm or deny that she was the woman in the VCD, even when interviewed by TV host Hu Chung-hsing (胡忠信) last week.

On Dec. 31, the 36-year-old former politician, formally filed libel charges against 19 people. Among those charged are employees of the tabloid-style magazine, including its president, Shen Yeh (沈野), and its publisher, Shen Jung (沈嶸) as well as Chung-ti Technology, the company which produced the VCD.

Convoluted plot * The 40-minute VCD was issued with "Scoop Weekly" magazine in mid-December. The video shows a woman looking very similar to Chu having sex with a man resembling Tseng Chung-min, a married businesman. * Chu still refuses to confirm or deny whether in fact it is her in the VCD. * Kuo Yu-ling , Chu's "spiritual growth" instructor and her former friend, is the chief suspect in the case after she admitted installing the film-making equipment in Chu's apartment. * Kuo's daughter, Kao Chun-chun, is suspected of passing the original videotape to "Scoop."

Chu's recent public comments have, however, helped the investigations into the scandal and her charges against the magazine, Chen said.

"Before she decided to face everybody," he said, "prosecutors had to worry about her safety and privacy when they interviewed her or contacted her for questions because we didn't want to hurt her again. We cannot ignore her during the investigation, however, since she is at the center of the scandal. It has been difficult to strike the right balance. Since she has become mentally stronger, however, and willing to face the world, prosecutors' jobs have become a lot easier."

A source, who wished to remain anonymous, said that Taipei Chief Prosecutor Lin Jinn-tsun (林錦村) issued the summons yesterday morning but that Lin would not confirm whether Chu had received it or not.

Neither Chu's office nor that of her lawyer was receiving telephone calls yesterday.

Lin told the Taipei Times: "We handed the summons to her lawyer but I cannot tell you which prosecutor issued the summons, which room in the building the hearing will be held in or whether Chu has received the summons or not."

When asked last week if she was the woman in the video, Chu said: "It's very possible that it's me. It really did look like me. But I am not sure whether the VCD is a fake or not. What I can say is that the hidden camera was not installed by me. Nor did I arrange for it to be installed."
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