Taipei prosecutors investigating the Chu Mei-feng (璩美鳳) sex-VCD case said yesterday they found 10 hidden cameras and audio-recording devices installed in the female politician's apartment, former office and car.
In addition, investigators have retrieved a cassette tape and notebook from Kuo Yu-ling (郭玉鈴), who police suspect was behind the filming of a 40-minute sex video allegedly featuring Chu and her married lover.
Kuo, a "spiritual-growth" instructor and a former friend of Chu, was detained by prosecutors on Wednesday.
On Thursday, police searching Chu's Tamsui apartment found one camera and two audio-recording devices in her living room. They also found a camera in Chu's bedroom that wasn't discovered during an initial search.
Two more cameras and audio-recording devices were found in Chu's car.
At Chu's former office at Hsinchu's Cultural Affairs Bureau, investigators located two audio recorders. They earlier had found cables attached to a computer that may have been connected to a video or audio-recording device.
Also, police suspect Chu's cellphone may contain an eavesdropping device.
Prosecutors searching Kuo's apartment on Thursday turned up 26 blank cassette tapes and a notebook containing names and telephone numbers.
In addition, officials at the Taipei Detention House, where Kuo is being held, recovered a recorded cassette tape from the suspect's purse.
It is not yet known what is on the tape.
According to prosecutors, Kuo said she bought 30 blank cassette tapes in Hsinchu for possible "litigation reasons." Four of the tapes are missing, and police are seeking their whereabouts.
Kuo hasn't said where the four tapes are located.
Investigators yesterday also refused to say what was contained in Kuo's notebook.
But they said that based on its contents, they may need to question Tsai Jen-chien (
According to prosecutors, Tsai and Kuo visited a private detective agency together to inquire about hidden cameras.
Kuo concedes she installed a pinhole camera in Chu's apartment, but she said she did so at her former friend's request.
Tsai has avoided reporters in recent days. Lin Cheng-chieh (
Meanwhile, two Taipei City councilors -- the KMT's Lin Yi-hua (林奕華) and the DPP's Yen Sheng-kuan (顏聖冠) -- have urged the city government yesterday to crack down on hidden cameras that may be installed in public restrooms and fitting rooms.
"While authorities are investigating the Chu case, many female individuals are being filmed by hidden cameras," Lin said.
Yen said her office had received e-mails containing photos of women using public restrooms at a shopping mall. She said the photos highlight the problem of hidden cameras.
"The images captured by hidden cameras in public restrooms have been circulating on the Internet," Yen said. "This not only invades women's privacy but also violates women's rights. We hope the city government will look into the problem more seriously."
The city councilors said the restrooms of all restaurants, hotels, department stores, shopping malls and parks in Taipei should be checked for hidden cameras.
They also suggested establishing a database of people who have purchased cameras.
A city government representative said Taipei has already writen regulations governing public restrooms, but are waiting to be passed by the city council.
FREEDOM OF NAVIGATION: The UK would continue to reinforce ties with Taiwan ‘in a wide range of areas’ as a part of a ‘strong unofficial relationship,’ a paper said The UK plans to conduct more freedom of navigation operations in the Taiwan Strait and the South China Sea, British Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs David Lammy told the British House of Commons on Tuesday. British Member of Parliament Desmond Swayne said that the Royal Navy’s HMS Spey had passed through the Taiwan Strait “in pursuit of vital international freedom of navigation in the South China Sea.” Swayne asked Lammy whether he agreed that it was “proper and lawful” to do so, and if the UK would continue to carry out similar operations. Lammy replied “yes” to both questions. The
‘OF COURSE A COUNTRY’: The president outlined that Taiwan has all the necessary features of a nation, including citizens, land, government and sovereignty President William Lai (賴清德) discussed the meaning of “nation” during a speech in New Taipei City last night, emphasizing that Taiwan is a country as he condemned China’s misinterpretation of UN Resolution 2758. The speech was the first in a series of 10 that Lai is scheduled to give across Taiwan. It is the responsibility of Taiwanese citizens to stand united to defend their national sovereignty, democracy, liberty, way of life and the future of the next generation, Lai said. This is the most important legacy the people of this era could pass on to future generations, he said. Lai went on to discuss
AMENDMENT: Climate change is expected to increase the frequency of high-temperature days, affecting economic productivity and public health, experts said The Central Weather Administration (CWA) is considering amending the Meteorological Act (氣象法) to classify “high temperatures” as “hazardous weather,” providing a legal basis for work or school closures due to extreme heat. CWA Administrator Lu Kuo-chen (呂國臣) yesterday said the agency plans to submit the proposed amendments to the Executive Yuan for review in the fourth quarter this year. The CWA has been monitoring high-temperature trends for an extended period, and the agency contributes scientific data to the recently established High Temperature Response Alliance led by the Ministry of Environment, Lu said. The data include temperature, humidity, radiation intensity and ambient wind,
SECOND SPEECH: All political parties should work together to defend democracy, protect Taiwan and resist the CCP, despite their differences, the president said President William Lai (賴清德) yesterday discussed how pro-Taiwan and pro-Republic of China (ROC) groups can agree to maintain solidarity on the issue of protecting Taiwan and resisting the Chinese Communist Party (CCP). The talk, delivered last night at Taoyuan’s Hakka Youth Association, was the second in a series of 10 that Lai is scheduled to give across Taiwan. Citing Taiwanese democracy pioneer Chiang Wei-shui’s (蔣渭水) slogan that solidarity brings strength, Lai said it was a call for political parties to find consensus amid disagreements on behalf of bettering the nation. All political parties should work together to defend democracy, protect Taiwan and resist
RSS