Actress Lu Ching (盧靚) yesterday had the 32 month prison sentence she received for her part in the blackmail of TV personality Peng Chia-chia (澎恰恰) reduced to two years by the Taiwan High Court.
Her uncle Lu Chao-chin's (
Lu Chao-chin, a former gangster, once topped the list of the nation's most wanted criminals.
Yesterday's verdict was final.
illegal
"This is simply a case of Lu Ching trying to extract revenge after constant sexual harassment by Peng. The court regards it as illegal, but would not deem it a serious crime," the verdict read.
Peng said that he was prepared to let bygones be bygones.
The Lus made no comment while Kuo said it had not been his day, but he would face up to the consequences.
"For me, the entire thing was already over when I decided to step forward and face it in person," Peng said.
`life goes on'
"Currently, I do not have any thoughts or feelings about the case. Life goes on," he said.
Peng was believed to have paid out a total of NT$41.7 million (US$1.24 million) to the various parties to suppress a video that Lu Ching claimed to have made secretly to protect herself from Peng's sexual advances.
The threat to release the VCD -- which shows Peng masturbating in a room with Lu -- was made in August 2003.
Peng claimed he didn't remember how the footage came to be shot as he was under the influence of flunitrazepan (rohypnol) which he took for an undisclosed psychological condition.
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