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Suspect arrested in shooting of legislator

Police yesterday arrested a suspect in the kidnapping and shooting of former legislator Lee Sen-zong (李顯榮).

Lee was shot and injured last Saturday after jumping from a car to escape his kidnappers.

Soon after the shooting, police identified one of the suspects as Tseng Chen-tang (曾振唐), 20.

Police arrested him in Sanchong (三重), Taipei County, early yesterday morning.

Police are looking for another suspect surnamed Wu, who is 21 years old.

Police said Tseng confessed to threatening Lee and pressing him for money. Tseng said he and Wu did not know who Lee was, but chose him because he was driving an expensive car, police said.

Tseng told police that he and Wu waited for Lee to slow down to make a turn before threatening Lee and getting in the car.

The pair then forced Lee to drive toward the mountains and to hand over his money and valuables, the police said.

Wu and Tseng then forced Lee into the back seat. Wu took the steering wheel, Tseng said, adding that he and Wu planned to take Lee to a remote area and torture him in the hope of getting more money from him.

Tseng told police there was no political motive behind the crime. Police were able to identify Tseng because he had rented a car in his name from a car rental firm in Banciao (板橋), Taipei County, then abandoned the car to enter Lee's car.

Lee is in stable condition after undergoing medical treatment.

Lee, a former Chinese Nationalist Party (KMT) lawmaker, switched allegiance to the Democratic Progressive Party last year after failing to win the KMT's nomination.

He was defeated in last month's legislative elections.

The incident took place at around 5am on Saturday, when Lee was driving home after dining at a friend's house in Wugu (五股), Taipei County.

Lee escaped from his kidnappers when his car passed a police car parked in front of a convenience store. Lee jumped out of the moving vehicle.

Tseng fired two shots at Lee, one of which hit Lee in the shoulder. Lee was rushed to National Taiwan University Hospital by police.

Lee told police he had never seen the suspects before.

Tseng and Wu told Lee they planned to seek a ransom of NT$100,000 for his release, police said.
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