DPP legislator plans to sue `Next' over allegations that he beat up his wife

A DPP lawmaker plans to sue Next magazine for libel after the tabloid-style weekly reported that the legislator beat his wife.

Ker Chien-ming (柯建銘), DPP caucus convener, held a press conference yesterday to announce the suit. In a recent edition of the magazine, Next said Ker -- along with his brother, Ker Hung-chin (柯鴻津) -- had beat the DPP lawmaker's wife, Lin Tuo-chun (林道春).

"The report said I beat my wife, which is ridiculous," Ker said. "I swear I didn't beat her. If the report is true, I'll quit politics."

Ker said he and his wife would be filing the suit together. "Next is among the worst garbage in Taiwan. My wife and I are definitely going to file a suit," he said.

Representatives from the magazine said the story was based on an interview with Lin conducted at Cathay General Hospital, where she had gone for treatment.

"Ker's wife told us the story. We have a videotape of the interview," said Pei Wei (裴偉), executive editor at Next.

Cathay General Hospital declined to comment on the magazine's report yesterday.

Ker refused to say yesterday why his wife had gone to the hospital. "This is my family's business. I will only talk about what exactly happened in front of the court," the lawmaker said.

This isn't the first time the magazine's reports have landed the publication in hot water.

The Taiwan High Court Prosecutors' Office in March seized 160,000 copies of the magazine after it reported on secret funds maintained by the National Security Bureau. The story's reporter, Hsieh Zhong-liang (謝忠良), was charged with breaching national security.

TV show hostesses A-ya (阿雅) and Hsiao-S (小S) and singer Fan Hsiao-hsuan (范曉萱) filed suit against the magazine last year, saying Next had invaded their privacy. The report said the trio were taking drugs at a party.

Lin Chin-lung (林金龍), a friend of Taiwanese soap star Hsiao Chiang (蕭薔), filed suit against the magazine for the same reason.

The Presidential Office has filed suit against four Next employees as well. The four employees allegedly attempted to pose as photographers' assistants to gain access to the engagement party of President Chen Shui-bian's (陳水扁) daughter in July.