Chu sues magazine, lawmaker denies he is in second video

The 36-year-old woman at the center of the sex-VCD controversy formally filed libel charges against tabloid-style magazine Scoop Weekly yesterday.

Last month, the magazine published a lengthy story about Chu Mei-feng (璩美鳳), the former chief of Hsinchu's Culture Affairs Bureau.

Scoop Weekly alleged that Chu was "promiscuous." The magazine also distributed with its story a 40-minute VCD allegedly depicting Chu having a sexual encounter with a married man.

Chu also filed libel charges against Chung-ti Technology yesterday, the company that manufactured the VCD with labels saying it featured Chu.

Chu has not said that she appears in the sex video, which was shot secretly with a pinhole camera.

The suit names 19 defendants, including Scoop Weekly's publisher Shen Yeh (沈野), his daughter Shen Jung (沈嶸) and several editors and reporters.

The owner of Chung-ti Technology, Hsieh Kuo-wen (謝國文), and employee Hu Chung-lin (胡鍾琳) were also named.

Chung Yung-sheng (鍾永盛), Chu's lawyer, said yesterday that the suit was being filed under Article 310 of the Criminal Code, which covers criminal libel.

As for charges that the distribution of the VCD violates Chu's right to privacy and laws prohibiting the circulation of indecent materials, Chung said he would leave the matter in the hands of government prosecutors.

"Prosecutors are currently working on that and we believe there will be a decision from them very soon," the lawyer said.

Chung also said investigators interviewed Chu for a second time yesterday.

According to Chung, Chu said that she was just "borrowing" a home purchased by Tsai Jen-chien (蔡仁堅), Chu's ex-boyfriend and the former mayor of Hsinchu.

She also said that Tsai had never given her an NT$10 million loan as was reported earlier.

Tsai, who had a romantic relationship with Chu for four years, was seen driving Kuo Yu-ling (郭玉鈴), the prime suspect in the case, to a private-detective agency where Kuo inquired about hidden cameras.

Prosecutors have yet to question Tsai.

In related news, independent lawmaker Tsai Hao (蔡豪) held a press conference yesterday to deny speculation that he appears on a second sex VCD featuring Chu.

"Believe me, I don't even know where her Tamsui apartment is," Tsai said, referring to Chu's home where the now infamous sex video was allegedly filmed.

"Like everybody else, all the information I know about this case has come from newspapers, TV and radio. I knew that there was a rumor that I was the man in the `second edition' of a sex VCD featuring Chu, but the VCD was never published."

Tsai said the rumor was a "malicious lie" and he had no idea who could have started the whispering campaign against him.

"This scandal for Chu has already become a tragedy and I sincerely hope that all the rumors will stop here and prosecutors will be allowed to finish their jobs and find the culprit," Tsai said.

"After all, my wife and I are friends with Chu. Both of us wish her well and hope she will remain strong."