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Abduction allegations arise in police scandal

A police scandal widened yesterday when three policemen were detained on suspicion of abducting Chinese prostitutes and demanding money for their release.

The three men were charged with bribery, the Taipei District Court said.

Prosecutors at the court said they were also investigating whether a fourth policeman, Lin Chia-fu (林家福), had a role in the abductions. He allegedly protected a brothel but has not been arrested because he is abroad.

Earlier this month, the Taipei police department detained five other officers on similar charges. Prosecutors took control of the investigation following reports that police officers conducting an internal probe had been intimidated by their own colleagues.

The police scandal has stunned the public. While police corruption was believed to be widespread, it was first time police officers had been accused of abduction.

The case also shed light on the fate of many women who sneak into Taiwan from China. Taiwan bars individuals from China from seeking jobs in Taiwan, and many of these women end up working illegally as prostitutes.

Prosecutors said Mao Weixian (毛衛仙), a Chinese woman who was arrested, told them that she had been detained by two policemen and was only freed after her brothel paid them NT$100,000.

Prosecutors quoted Mao as saying she usually received 20 percent of the money she earned, with the rest going to the brothel's owners.

The Taipei police department said in a statement that the four policemen were suspended from their jobs for ``tarnishing the reputation of the police.''

The local Chinese-language media quoted prosecutors as saying 30 other policemen were being investigated on abduction and bribery charges.
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