Chu sues for NT$133 million in VCD case

Former Hsinchu City Bureau of Cultural Affairs chief Chu Mei-feng (璩美鳳) yesterday asked for NT$133 million in civil damages from the 11 defendants in the sex-VCD scandal.

Taipei Senior Prosecutor Lin Jinn-tsun (林錦村) finished the investigation and indicted 11 people who were involved in the case on Feb. 7.

Judges Hsu Shih-chen (徐世楨), Kuo Hui-ling (郭惠玲) and Li Hui-ping (黎惠萍) from the Taipei District Court yesterday held the first pre-trial hearing in the sex-VCD scandal and summoned the 11 defendants in the case.

Chu did not appear herself and was represented by her lawyer, Chung Yung-sheng (鍾永盛). Chung filed the request for civil damages at the hearing.

The 11 defendants are Kuo Yu-ling (郭玉鈴), a spiritual teacher who was also Chu's close friend; Kuo's 19-year-old daughter, Kao Chun-chun (高淳淳); former Hsinchu mayor Tsai Jen-chien (蔡仁堅); Scoop magazine president Shen Yeh (沈野); his daughter, who is also the publisher of the magazine, Shen Jung (沈嶸); Shen Yeh's assistant Wei An (韋安); the magazine's employees Lin Jia-nan (林家男), Shao Wei-hsin (邵偉信), Wang Hsu-yun (王緒筠) and Wang Ya-wei (王亞唯); and Chung-ti Technology's owner Hu Chung-lin (胡鍾琳).

Chung-ti Technology was the company that produced and duplicated the VCD for the magazine.

According to the indictment, prosecutors recommended a four-year sentence for Kuo; Tsai was recommended for one year; Shen Yeh was recommended for two years and two months; Shen Jung was recommended for one year and four months; and Wei was recommended for one year and 10 months.

Prosecutors did not seek a sentence for Kao, Lin, Shao, Wang Hsu-yun, Wang Ya-wei and Hu, leaving that matter to the court.

According to Chung, Chu has asked for NT$50 million from Kuo, Kao and Tsai together; another NT$20.6 million from Kuo alone; NT$60 million from Shen Yeh, Shen Jung, Wei, Lin, Shao, Wang Hsu-yun and Wang Ya-wei and NT$3 million from Hu.

In addition, Chu asked that Scoop be required to publish an apology on the front pages of Chinese-language newspapers the United Daily News and the China Times.

At the hearing, Kuo admitted that she asked private detectives to install hidden cameras and recorders at Chu's Hsinchu office, her Tamsui apartment home and insider her car and cellphone.

She also admitted that she used Chu's stamp and bank account book to withdraw NT$590,000 from Chu's account on Aug. 10. But she said that the withdrawal was made with Chu's authorization.

According to the indictment, Chu did not approve the withdrawal.

Kuo's daughter Kao did not admit to a crime at the hearing, either. She said that she never saw a hidden camera or recording device.

Tsai admitted that he introduced Kuo to a private detective shop in Hsinchu, but said it had nothing to do with the case. He also denied the charges against him.

Shen Jung said she did not do anything wrong and told the judges that she was actually the writer of the stories regarding the scandal in the magazine.