Body-builder rampages at Taipei County Government

Seven-time national body-building champion Lin Chih-cheng (林致成) went on a rampage through Taipei County Government offices yesterday morning to show his dissatisfaction with sports authorities, but was caught by guards as he tried to run away from the scene, local media reported yesterday.

Lin, who wore a raincoat over the top of a flak jacket, is alleged to have first ignited firecrackers in a bathroom of the county government building at around 8:50am and then rushed to the commissioner's office on the third floor and smashed two computers and desks with a baseball bat.

Taipei County Commissioner Su Tseng-chang (蘇貞昌) was not in the office at the time of the rampage.

According to police, the body-builder reportedly admitted involvement in vandalizing the office of Lin Te-fu (林德福), chairman of the Cabinet-level National Council of Physical Fitness and Sports (NCPFS), at the end of last month.

Last month's incident occurred after the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and the sports council were criticized for mishandling the Senegal national soccer team's visit.

Lin reportedly questioned why the government would rather spend a large sum of money "in vain" on foreign players than investing in developing the nation's athletes.

Lin Chih-cheng won gold medals in the body-building category at the National Games from 1992 to 1998. Lin owns a fitness center in Taipei City and is also a fitness trainer. Police say he has a criminal record for intimidation and attempted murder.

After his arrest, Lin told police that he won several body-building titles in Taipei County, but sports officials kept his award money.

"From the time I started until now, the country owes me money. Taipei County owes me money, too," Lin said, as he sat chained to a wall in a police station.

Lin was also reportedly upset over his failure to be selected as a body-builder for Taiwan for the 2002 Asian Games, to be held in Busan, South Korea beginning at the end of August.

Lin had offered to participate in the competition at his own expense but was rejected by NCPFS.

Police speculated on other possible motives for Lin's outburst, saying that Lin's fitness center lost around NT$2 million recently.

Lin's rampage began at the county offices when he exploded a large box of firecrackers in a bathroom stall. One of the boxes failed to explode, however, and a bomb squad had to remove it. He also smashed computers and glass desktops with a baseball bat.