Taipei County Council Speaker Hsu Tsai-en (
"I'm speechless right now. What can I say?" Hsu said at a news conference yesterday.
"He is like a son to me. I watched him grow up. I still can't believe he would do such a thing to me. I just don't believe it," Hsu said.
His comments came after Taipei County Police's Hsintien Precinct held a press conference yesterday morning to announce that they were closing the case because their chief suspect was in custody and had confessed.
Chang Ming-feng (
Huang and Liu were arrested within minutes of the foiled kidnapping bid on Oct. 30. They remain in custody but have not yet been charged.
The police say they began to suspect that Chang was involved after they interviewed Huang and Liu and reviewed their cellphone records, even though Huang and Liu denied Chang was involved.
Police officials say that they also received tips that Chang was a close friend of Huang and Liu had provided the pair with the pistol and the knife allegedly used in the kidnapping attempt.
After being interviewed overnight, Chang reportedly confessed yesterday morning to masterminding the kidnap plot, telling police he had come up with the plan about two weeks before it was carried out.
"It's all about money," said Hung Jiunn-yi (
"Chang told us that he has debts amounting to more than a NT$1 million and he needed the money." Hung said.
"Since his late father and Hsu were close friends, Chang knew that Hsu is wealthy so he decided to kidnap him."
At his press conference Hsu described Chang's late father -- whose name he did not wish to reveal -- as a close friend, saying they had known each other since childhood.
He also said that Chang worked for him as a driver from 1990 to 1994.
Hsu said he had asked Chang to work for him because he needed a driver and Chang needed work.
Police said Chang told them that he had borrowed NT$500,000 from Hsu in September.
Hsu confirmed that he had lent Chang money but would not say how much.
The 60-year-old politician foiled the kidnapping attempt outside his apartment building by fighting off his assailants and disarming them with the help of his driver.
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