Kaohsiung Mayor Han Kuo-yu (韓國瑜) yesterday pressed defamation charges against My-Formosa.com president Wu Tsu-chia (吳子嘉) over the latter’s accusation that Han had an extramarital affair.
Wu earlier this week said that prosecutors, during their 2016 investigation into alleged vegetable price manipulation, found footage showing that Han, who was the general manager of Taipei Agricultural Products Marketing at the time, stayed overnight at the New Taipei City residence of a woman surnamed Wang (王).
Huang Wen-tsai (黃文財), now the president of Kaohsiung City Shipping, was also present, Wu said.
Photo: Chien Jung-fong, Taipei Times
Huang said that he had introduced Wang to Han and that many others were present that night, as they were playing mahjong.
Wu on Thursday said that “Wang and Han were together for more than a decade” and had a daughter together.
After Han was elected Kaohsiung mayor in November last year, he instructed Huang to give Wang more than NT$10 million (US$316,336) in “living expenses,” Wu said.
Wu said that Han was welcome to sue him if he disagreed with his statements.
However, online Now News yesterday reported that Wu has a history of losing lawsuits over his alleged information.
Han denied Wu’s allegations in a statement issued by the Kaohsiung Information Bureau on Thursday afternoon.
Yesterday, he visited the Taipei District Prosecutors’ Office and filed suit against Wu.
Han said he hopes that members of the public can learn to be courteous toward one another and look forward to a better future, adding that such thoughts have prevented him from suing the many people who have slandered him since he won the Kaohsiung mayoral election.
However, Han said he had to take action against Wu’s allegations, as they were utter lies.
He would provide whatever information necessary to prosecutors, Han said, adding that he felt the judiciary was the only thing that people should believe in in “such a tumultuous age.”
Han called on Wu to share his evidence and explain where the alleged child was.
He would not reject the idea of taking media outlets to court if they continued to commit libel, Han said, adding: “I really do not want to resort to this step.”
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