Witness found in Miaoli murder

Police yesterday saw a dramatic development in the investigation of a murder case connected to the Miaoli County Council speaker.

Kuo Tseng-li (3ⅣW禮), 25, reportedly an employee of 38-year-old Huang Chao-neng (黃兆能), who died in the home of Miaoli County Council Speaker Chen Tien-sung (3?K松), told police that it had been a case of a botched kidnapping attempt.

Kuo said that on the night of Nov. 24 he and Huang had brought two guns and a can of gasoline to the house of the council speaker. They had planned to kidnap and blackmail Chen for NT$30 million, Kuo said, but he decided at the last minute not to go into the house with Huang.

Kuo, who had previously denied any knowledge of the case, would not reveal where they had bought the guns.

Miaoli District chief prosecutor Chen Wen-chi (3?撋X), told reporters that they had doubts about Kuo's statement and planned to conduct further investigation. As of press time, Kuo had been released on NT$50,000 bail.

Chen said the council speaker is obviously the key person to interrogate about exectly what happened that fatal night, and she will subpoena Chen to appear on Dec. 10 to give a clearer explanation of events.

According to Kuo, on the night in question, Huang had asked him for a ride to Chen's, and had told him along the way that if he failed, in his kidnap attempt, he would kill himself.

Kuo told police that he did not know why Huang had wanted to blackmail Chen, but he thought it might have something to do with Huang's gravel business.

Kuo said that Huang had lost a substantial amount of money and might have thought he could extort money from Chen.

Huang was later found dead at Chen's home, wearing a camouflage uniform and a helmet. An autopsy later showed that Huang had been shot in the chest at close range and his dead body was later burned.

Chen remains the police's primary suspect, although the council speaker has held four press conferences since the incident to claim his innocence, saying that he does not know Huang, nor has he ever been involved in any gravel business.

According to Chen, on the night of the incident, an unknown man came into his paint store, on the ground floor of his house, wearing a helmet and a camouflage uniform, and handed him a note demanding NT$30 million.

Chen said that as he ran to the back of the store to call the police, he saw the perpetrator go up to the third floor, and later heard three gunshots ring out, followed by the sound of a fire. The police arrived soon thereafter, he said.