A minor scuffle between police and journalists trying to cover the release of a high-profile corruption suspect on Monday has turned into a legal showdown between the government and a TV cameraman detained by police at the scene.
During the incident on Monday afternoon, a number of court police attempted without much success to fend off members of the press at the Taipei District Court, as the reporters chased the president's son-in-law, Chao Chien-ming, (
As the press and police officers pushed one another in the chaos, Sanlih Entertainment Television employee Chu Wen-cheng (朱文正) was grabbed by several police officers and forcefully hauled into the court building, where he was taken into custody.
PHOTO: WANG MIN-WEI, TAIPEI TIMES
The court police then brought Chu to the Taipei District Prosecutors' Office and accused him of interfering with a public function (妨害公務罪).
The court police said they arrested Chu because he hit them and kicked a court police officer during the fray.
Prosecutors released Chu without bail late on Monday night .
Chu, who suffered minor injuries, told the press as he left the prosecutors' office that he neither swung at court police nor assaulted them.
"They got the wrong person," Chu said, adding that several cameramen had recorded the incident from different angles and could prove his innocence.
Widespread footage of the incident shown on several TV stations showed no evidence that Chu had attacked police officers.
Yesterday afternoon, Chu filed a lawsuit against the Taipei District Court police for offenses against personal liberty, causing bodily harm and malfeasance in office. He asked for NT$1 million (US$30,470) in compensation.
Chu claimed that court police beat him while he was in custody.
Meanwhile, the Judicial Yuan yesterday said it would "reflect" on the clash.
"The Judicial Yuan regrets the incident, and it will reflect on whether the court police overreacted ... But now that prosecutors have started probing the matter, any conclusions had better be made after the completion of the investigation," Judicial Yuan Secretary-General Fan Kuang-chun (
Fan said chaos often occurs at courts nationwide when the press chases important figures as they attend hearings.
"Regulations on press practices inside and outside the courts should be created to prevent this kind of chaos from repeatedly happening," he added.
The Taipei District Court yesterday afternoon also issued a press statement offering an apology for the incident.
Government Information Office Minister and Cabinet Spokesman Cheng Wen-tsang (鄭文燦) yesterday said that guaranteeing reporters' safety should be the most important thing during media events.
"Things like this could be avoided if the Taipei District Court prepared and arranged proper working areas for reporters during an event," Cheng said.
"No matter what, reporters' safety should be the priority at all times," Cheng said.
Cheng said that there might have been some misunderstandings in this case.
However, any violence should be investigated and people who attack others should not be forgiven, Cheng said.
Additional reporting by Jimmy Chuang
A NT$39 receipt for two bottles of tea at a FamilyMart was among the NT$10 million (US $312,969) special prize winners in the January-February uniform invoice lottery. FamilyMart said that two NT$10 million-winning receipts were issued at its stores, as well as two NT$2 million grand prizes and three NT$200,000 first prizes. The two NT$10 million receipts were issued at stores in Pingtung County and Yilan County’s Dongshan Township (冬山). One winner spent just NT$39 on two bottles of tea, while another spent NT$80 on water, tea and coffee, the company said. Meanwhile, 7-Eleven reported three NT$10 million winners — in New Taipei
Considering that most countries issue more than five denominations of banknotes, the central bank has decided to redesign all five denominations, the bank said as it prepares for the first major overhaul of the banknotes in more than 24 years. Central bank Governor Yang Chin-lung (楊金龍) is expected to report to the Legislative Yuan today on the bank’s operations and the redesign’s progress. The bank in a report sent to the legislature ahead of today’s meeting said it had commissioned a survey on the public’s preferences. Survey results showed that NT$100 and NT$1,000 banknotes are the most commonly used, while NT$200 and NT$2,000
ANNUAL EVENT: Two massive Pokemon balloons are to be set up in Daan Park, with an event zone operating from 10am to 6pm This year’s Taipei Floral Picnic is to be held at Daan Park today and tomorrow, featuring an exclusive Pokemon Go event, a themed food market, a coffee rave picnic area and stage performances, the Taipei Department of Information and Tourism said yesterday. Two massive Pokemon balloons are to be set up in the park as attractions, with an exclusive event zone operating from 10am to 6pm, it said. Participants who complete designated tasks on-site would have a chance to receive limited-edition souvenirs, it added. People could also try the newly launched game Pokemon Pokopia in the trial area, the department said. Three PokeStops are
The Centers for Disease Control (CDC) yesterday reported the first case of a new COVID-19 subvariant — BA.3.2 — in a 10-year-old Singaporean girl who had a fever upon arrival in Taiwan and tested positive for the disease. The girl left Taiwan on March 20 and the case did not have a direct impact on the local community, it said. The WHO added the BA.3.2 strain to its list of Variants Under Monitoring in December last year, but this was the first imported case of the COVID-19 variant in Taiwan, CDC Deputy Director-General Lin Ming-cheng (林明誠) said. The girl arrived in Taiwan on
RSS