Yunlin's big brother

Another notable leading figure is county councilwoman Yin Ling-ying (尹伶瑛), who fought Chang in 1999 over a land-excavation project on the natural habitat of the fairy pitta (八色鳥).

Chang backed down from the project under intense international pressure against the development scheme. Had the project gone through, Chang could have reaped huge profits since his wife owned part of the hill.

Yin said she made two previous attempts to take the incinerator case to court, but to no avail. She was lucky this time in that she was able to show the prosecutor the operational plan of the incinerator listing various enormously bloated expenses.

For example, Su and Yin convinced the prosecutor to make a calculation of total construction cost for the project. The calculated figure indicated an exceess cost of more than NT$1 billion under items proposed by the county government.

The prosecutor's office was also puzzled by other unusual and, perhaps, unfair business practices in the plan. Under questioning, Linnei Township magistrate Chen Ho-shan (陳河山), admitted receiving a "broker's fee" of over NT$18 million related to the incinerator project.

According to reports, cash transaction records in Chen's bank account traced back the sum of money that was, in fact, related to a land-purchase fund of more than NT$200 million already paid by the county government. The land owner, however, told the prosecutor he had been paid a total of NT$100 million for the land. About NT$90 million was missing from the county fund and the prosecutor would like commissioner Chang to answer related questions.

Before the court order was served to the commissioner's office, Chang left his office and home on Aug. 14 and remains missing. He has given exclusive interviews to two local newspapers either in person or by phone at unknown locations not far from Yunlin County on different days.

As expected, Chang denied all the charges against him and claimed he was the victim of political persecution by the present administration for the reason that he openly supported the Lien-Soong ticket of the pan-blue camp during the March presidential election.

Yin and Su have both recently received death threats from Chang. At least one Yunlin councilman has been on TV to expose an "intimate relationship of holding hands and drinking coffee together" between Legislator Su and the prosecutor working on Chang's case to defame the women.

However, Yin and Su are standing strong. Commenting on Chang, Yin said: "It may simply be too difficult for Chang to realize that there are people in this world who do not care much about personal gains. Chang grew up in a world where brutal violence and personal profit surpass every bit of human value. He may win praise from gangsters who have been blessed with his personal favors. Su and I are just the type who refuse to trade public trust for personal favors or threats."

One elder Yunlin resident made a sharp observation about Chang's disappearance: "Well, Chang accumulated most of his personal wealth from illegally selling sand and gravel dug from the Chuoshui River (濁水溪) while he was a hoodlum. He then reaped huge profits from every construction project tendered by the county government when he reigned over either speakership or commissioner's office. I think it is time that he finally was thrown into the incinerator in Linnei."