Blackmail probe gets new boost

Former Democratic Progressive Party (DPP) lawmaker Lin Ruey-tu (林瑞圖) appeared yesterday at the Taipei City Police Department to provide evidence about gangsters who allegedly blackmailed actor and TV celebrity Peng Chia-chia (澎恰恰).

"I took the risk of telling the police the gangsters' names because I will face them in court later," said Lin, a friend of Peng's who said he had inside information about the alleged blackmailing, when he left the police department yesterday afternoon.

Lin said that to his knowledge, at least three criminal rings claimed to possess a VCD recording of Peng having sex with a woman, in an effort to blackmail Peng. He refused to tell reporters the gangsters' names.

"Peng thought the matter would be resolved after he paid the money to gangsters and took the VCD back, but a leak of a copy of the VCD made the situation drag on," Lin said.

Taipei prosecutor Huang Li-wei (黃立維), who is in charge of the probe into the alleged blackmail, said he would swiftly summon for questioning gangster-turned-businessman Lu Chao-chin (盧照琴), who used to top the list of Taiwan's most-wanted criminals and was twice sentenced to death for murder. Peng allegedly gave Lu more than NT$10 million (US$300,000) to prevent Lu from going public with the VCD and creating a scandal.

According to the Taipei police, people familiar with the VCD have alleged that the woman who is recorded in the act of having sex with Peng is Lu's niece, actress Lu Ching (盧靚), and that she will also be brought in for questioning.

Peng and Lu acted together in a drama aired on Sanlih Entertainment Television (三立電視).

Police said they have heard allegations that Lu Ching and her boyfriend conspired to secretly film Peng.

Lu Chao-chin and Lu Ching have both denied any involvement in the scandal.

On Sunday, after media speculation on the VCD reached a fever pitch, Peng held a press conference admitting that he had been blackmailed. But Peng insisted that the embarrassing VCD showed him masturbating in a hotel room, not having sex with a woman.

Police said Peng's refusal to reveal the blackmailers' identities and how much he paid them was making the probe more difficult.

For his part, Peng said he paid the blackmailers because he thought police would not have helped him resolve the situation.

Minister of the Interior Su Jia-chyuan (蘇嘉全) has urged Peng to tell police who the blackmailers are, and has agreed to provide Peng with protection.

Peng -- an actor, host of a popular TV variety show and pop music composer -- recently quit his job as show host and actor in a drama series on Sanlih Entertainment Television, in a sudden move that sparked immediate concern and speculation.