Former independent lawmaker Lo Fu-chu (
The case stems from Lo's assault on Lee during a legislative committee meeting on March 28 last year. Lo was filmed on closed circuit television slapping Lee in the face.
The security tape which recorded the incident appears to show Lo's assistant Kao Ming-ta (高明達) stopping Lee's assistant from helping her. Lee subsequently filed a civil suit and criminal charges for the assault against Lo and Kao on April 9 last year. Taipei prosecutors officially indicted the pair on Oct. 8 last year.
In Taiwan, civil and criminal actions relating to the same alleged offenses are tried in joint proceedings.
The Taipei District Court yesterday held its second hearing on the suit. Lo and Kao, accompanied by their lawyer Tu Ying-ta (
The attorneys for both parties agreed to seek a private, out-of-court settlement.
The judge agreed to the plan and adjourned the case for one month to enable them to come to a settlement. If they fail to do so, the trial will resume.
Adjourning the hearing, Judge Tsai Ju-chi (
Judges in Taiwan have discretion to drop criminal charges in the event that the defendant and plaintiff to the related civil proceedings reach a private settlement.
The hearing lasted for approximately 10 minutes.
Before the hearing began, Lo told the press that he was sincere in his remorse and would do "whatever it took" to ease the pain he has caused. But Lo added that he had as yet received no response from Lee or her lawyer.
"I've said that I'm sorry more than once," Lo said. "I've been trying to reach her and let her know that I'm sorry. And I'll keep on trying until she receives my message. I think we can resolve this."
Kao and Tu had no comments.
Lee Fu-tien, however, said that neither he or Lee had ever received a call or notification from Lo of his apology. While he agreed with Lo's proposal at the hearing, he stressed that it did not mean a settlement had been reached.
"Diane wants to solve this case, too," he said. "However, we do not know how to make it happen since Lo, Kao and their lawyer have never spoken with us. We don't know what their bottom line is. And we really don't know how sincere Lo's apology is."
He said that Lee would accept Lo's apology "only under certain circumstances."
"The damage to her reputation is what she cares about the most," Lee said.
"If Lo's compromise and apology cannot fix the damage, she will not accept it."
Three Taiwanese airlines have prohibited passengers from packing Bluetooth earbuds and their charger cases in checked luggage. EVA Air and Uni Air said that Bluetooth earbuds and charger cases are categorized as portable electronic devices, which should be switched off if they are placed in checked luggage based on international aviation safety regulations. They must not be in standby or sleep mode. However, as charging would continue when earbuds are placed in the charger cases, which would contravene international aviation regulations, their cases must be carried as hand luggage, they said. Tigerair Taiwan said that earbud charger cases are equipped
Foreign travelers entering Taiwan on a short layover via Taiwan Taoyuan International Airport are receiving NT$600 gift vouchers from yesterday, the Tourism Administration said, adding that it hopes the incentive would boost tourism consumption at the airport. The program, which allows travelers holding non-Taiwan passports who enter the country during a layover of up to 24 hours to claim a voucher, aims to promote attractions at the airport, the agency said in a statement on Friday. To participate, travelers must sign up on the campaign Web site, the agency said. They can then present their passport and boarding pass for their connecting international
UNILATERAL MOVES: Officials have raised concerns that Beijing could try to exert economic control over Kinmen in a key development plan next year The Civil Aviation Administration (CAA) yesterday said that China has so far failed to provide any information about a new airport expected to open next year that is less than 10km from a Taiwanese airport, raising flight safety concerns. Xiamen Xiangan International Airport is only about 3km at its closest point from the islands in Kinmen County — the scene of on-off fighting during the Cold War — and construction work can be seen and heard clearly from the Taiwan side. In a written statement sent to Reuters, the CAA said that airports close to each other need detailed advanced
UNKNOWN TRAJECTORY: The storm could move in four possible directions, with the fourth option considered the most threatening to Taiwan, meteorologist Lin De-en said A soon-to-be-formed tropical storm east of the Philippines could begin affecting Taiwan on Wednesday next week, the Central Weather Administration (CWA) said yesterday. The storm, to be named Fung-wong (鳳凰), is forecast to approach Taiwan on Tuesday next week and could begin affecting the weather in Taiwan on Wednesday, CWA forecaster Huang En-hung (黃恩鴻) said, adding that its impact might be amplified by the combined effect with the northeast monsoon. As of 2pm yesterday, the system’s center was 2,800km southeast of Oluanbi (鵝鑾鼻). It was moving northwest at 18kph. Meteorologist Lin De-en (林得恩) on Facebook yesterday wrote that the would-be storm is surrounded by
RSS