Different political leanings brought a gangster couple further fame yesterday after police investigated an alleged assault by one partner but the victim refused to press charges.
According to the Taipei police's Chunghsiao West Rd. station, former Bamboo Union (竹聯幫) Tiger Division (虎堂) head Chu Chia-hsun (朱家訓) and his girlfriend Kao Mei-fang (高美芳), former head of the Tiger Division's Phoenix Corps (虎鳳隊), called them around 1am yesterday because Chu allegedly beat Kao and Kao had bruises around her right eye.
The pregnant Kao told police that Chu beat her up because she mocked him while she was asking him whether he would lead protesters to join the presidential inauguration.
"You chicken! You are not patriotic," Kao was quoted as saying in response to her live-in boyfriend's disinclination to participate in a May 19 protest.
The police said that Chu beat Kao in their car on their way home. Kao was rushed to a hospital when officers discovered she was injured.
But Kao did not file a complaint, and the police let them leave.
"I now have a NT$300,000 debt, so I really can't afford to protest any more," Chu said. "But I did apologize to her. I should not have done what I did to her."
Chu and Kao have been involved in the pan-blue camp's rallies following the presidential election on March 20. They reportedly led gang members in these rallies and offered free food to protesters.
Since then, the pair have had heavy media coverage and have been invited onto TV talk shows.
Kao yesterday was quoted by local newspapers as saying that Chu was very jealous because she had been the focus of media attention.
Chu and Kao were rumored to have been involved in rioting during the protests, but the police found insufficient evidence to take further action on the matter.
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