Print

Mail

wiki links

`Lying' love child, mom indicted by prosecutors

"A DNA test proved the late Koo had no parental relationship with Chang."

Wang Jen-kuei, spokesman for the Shilin District Prosecutors' office

A mother-daughter team who claimed to be the mistress and love child of former Straits Exchange Foundation (SEF) chairman Koo Chen-fu (辜振甫) were indicted yesterday by prosecutors, after DNA tests failed to establish any kinship with Koo.

Prosecutors said the mother-daughter team are extortionists and asked the court to sentence Teng Hsiang-mei (鄧香妹) to five years in jail and her daughter Chang Yi-hua (張怡華) to three years for demanding hush money from the Koo family.

"A DNA test proved the late Koo had no parental relationship with Chang," said Wang Jen-kuei (王壬貴), a spokesman for the Shilin District Prosecutor's Office. "Because Chang and her mother Teng threatened and harassed Koo's family, they violated the Law of Obtaining Property by Threats (恐嚇取財罪)."

Teng, who claimed that Chang was the late Koo's daughter, claimed to have received hush money from Koo for years. After Chang was born, Teng alleged, Koo gave Chang and Teng two apartments and -- since 1994 -- cash payments of NT$205,000 (US$6,100) per month.

The two went public with their claims when Koo's family refused to make any more payments after his death.

In order to facilitate the investigation, prosecutors asked Koo Chen-fu's second son, Leslie Koo (辜成允) and Chang to take DNA tests when summoned for questioning in late August.

Prosecutors also asked the Koo Foundation Sun Yat-sen Cancer Center to provide tissue from Koo's gall bladder for comparison. The results from the two DNA tests were consistent, showing no relation between Chang and Koo.

In addition to the criminal lawsuit, Chang and Teng face a civil lawsuit filed by the Koo family, which is seeking the return of properties and assets that the mother-daughter team acquired. The Shilin District Court in August executed a provisional seizure of Chang's apartment in Neihu.

Koo died earlier this year at the age of 89.
This story has been viewed 1911 times.