Stray-pup activist in dog house over alleged fraud

The Bureau of Investigation's (BOI) Taipei Office yesterday arrested stray dog activist Ko Szu-hai (柯賜海) for alleged fraud in connection with NT$220 million in mortgages and the forging of legal documents.

According to the Taipei District Prosecutors' Office, investigators from the bureau's Taipei Office -- acting under direct orders from Chief Prosecutor Hsueh Wei-ping (薛維平) -- arrived at Ko's apartment in Hsihchih, Taipei County, with search and arrest warrants around 10:30am yesterday.

The prosecutors' office said that Ko cooperated with investigators and was brought back to the BOI's Taipei Office.

Chen Hung-ta (陳宏達), the spokesman of the prosecutors' office, said that Hsueh has been investigating Ko for months and had discovered that Ko had bought 26 near-bankrupt companies between 1996 and 1997.

Ko reportedly told stock investors that the companies he owned were doing high-tech business and producing computers and biology-related products in an attempt to get them to buy shares in his companies.

Chen said that Ko had taken out mortgages based on his companies for a total of NT$220 million, but had not yet repaid the banks.

Chen said the prosecutors' office has summoned Ko twice but he never showed up.

"According to our investigation, some of his companies are fakes, because they were registered but they never actually operated," Chen said.

"As a result, innocent investors never shared bonuses from these companies, since these companies never earned a profit."

"We're still trying to figure out if he is involved in more fraud or forgery cases," Chen said.

As of press time last night, Ko was still being questioned by prosecutors and investigators.

"We haven't decided whether to ask the court to detain him at this moment," Chen said.

Ko has become infamous for his publicity stunts, including popping up behind interviewees on daily TV news coverage, taking stray dogs with him to protest at government offices and bombarding the phone lines of businesses with computerized phone calls.

In an interview with the Taipei Times in April, Ko said that he is passionate about protesting because he believes the justice system is unfair and he wants to fight against it.

He also said that he planned to be a candidate in this year's Taipei City Council elections because he could help more people as a lawmaker.