An anonymous tipster, whose information led to the arrest of notorious gangster Hu Guan-bao (胡關寶) 14 years ago, yesterday complained that he did not receive the NT$10 million reward that he was promised.
The case involved the kidnapping of Taishin Financial Holding Co Chairman Eric Wu (吳東亮). Hu and his associates kidnapped Wu in 1990 and demanded NT$100 million from his family. Wu was released on Dec. 18, 1990, after his family paid the ransom. The tipster, who is only identified by his surname Huang, informed police as to the whereabouts of Hu and his fellow kidnappers. Police arrested Hu and his gang in Christmas Day the same year.
Yesterday, Huang contacted local Chinese-language media and told them the Wu family had promised a NT$10 million reward to whoever provided useful information that led to the arrest of the kidnappers, but he never received the money. Huang also told the media he thinks the police confiscated the money. Police and the Wu family denied such a reward was ever offered.
"For the case, we did provide a NT$1 million reward to a tipster who helped us arrest the suspects. That money has been delivered and everything is on our records," said Kao Cheng-sheng (高政昇), deputy commissioner of the National Police Agency's Criminal Investigation Bureau (CIB). "We never offered a reward as high as NT$10 million and neither did the Wu family," Kao said.
Former National Police Agency director-general Chuang Heng-dai (莊亨岱) and former CIB commissioner Lu Yu-jun (盧毓鈞) -- who were involved in the 1990 case, also said that they never heard of a NT$10 million offered by the Wu family.
Hu was sentenced to death and executed immediately after his conviction. In addition to kidnapping Wu, he also murdered two military guards in Hsinchu and was the first gangster in Taiwan who possessed a bachelor's degree.
After Hu was arrest, he denied all the allegations and refused to confess during police interrogation.
But current CIB Commissioner Hou You-yi (侯友宜) successfully talked Hu into confessing to the crimes and divulge the location of a rifle, which served as a key piece of evidence during his trial. Six months later, the police found the evidence at a location in the middle of nowhere in Hsintien after Hu pointed it out for authorities.
Nipah virus infection is to be officially listed as a category 5 notifiable infectious disease in Taiwan in March, while clinical treatment guidelines are being formulated, the Centers for Disease Control (CDC) said yesterday. With Nipah infections being reported in other countries and considering its relatively high fatality rate, the centers on Jan. 16 announced that it would be listed as a notifiable infectious disease to bolster the nation’s systematic early warning system and increase public awareness, the CDC said. Bangladesh reported four fatal cases last year in separate districts, with three linked to raw date palm sap consumption, CDC Epidemic Intelligence
Two Taiwanese prosecutors were questioned by Chinese security personnel at their hotel during a trip to China’s Henan Province this month, the Mainland Affairs Council (MAC) said yesterday. The officers had personal information on the prosecutors, including “when they were assigned to their posts, their work locations and job titles,” MAC Deputy Minister and spokesman Liang Wen-chieh (梁文傑) said. On top of asking about their agencies and positions, the officers also questioned the prosecutors about the Cross-Strait Joint Crime-Fighting and Judicial Mutual Assistance Agreement, a pact that serves as the framework for Taiwan-China cooperation on combating crime and providing judicial assistance, Liang
Reports of Taiwanese going missing, being detained or interrogated, or having their personal liberties restricted in China increased about fourfold annually last year, the Mainland Affairs Council (MAC) said yesterday. Last year, 221 Taiwanese who traveled to China were reported missing, were detained and interrogated, or otherwise had their personal freedom restricted, up from 55 the previous year, the council said. Reopening group tours to China would be risky, as it would leave travelers with no way to seek help through official channels after Beijing shut down dialogue between the associations tasked with handling cross-strait tourism, the MAC said. Taipei’s Taiwan Strait Tourism
SHIFT: Taiwan is evolving from a transit stop into a tourist destination, with more international travelers willing to spend on tours, dining and cultural activities Taiwan rose three places in the World Tourism Barometer to 36th globally in 2024, with international tourism revenue of US$10.028 billion, the Tourism Administration said on Monday. The UN Tourism Organization publication said that its focus has switched from whether a country has returned to pre-COVID-19 levels of tourism to the amount spent by a tourist during an overseas trip. The nation last year welcomed 8.57 million international tourists, about 9 percent more than in 2024, with most tourists coming from Japan, South Korea, and Hong Kong and Macau, all of which accounted for at least 1 million tourists each. During the first
RSS