Teng Hsiang-mei (鄧香妹), who claimed to be the mistress of late Straits Exchange Foundation (SEF) chairman Koo Chen-fu (辜振甫), was given a final sentence of five years in prison yesterday for extortion.
Chang Yi-hua (張怡華), Teng’s daughter, is already serving a three-year prison term after being sentenced by the Taiwan High Court last year.
The high court said that because Teng was absent several times during her trial, authorities had to go to Teng’s residence in Taipei to look for her. The court added that Teng refused to open the door when they came.
The court said Teng had claimed she suffered from cancer and was unable to attend the hearings or serve a prison term, but judges had received hospital medical records showing Teng was in good health.
Teng and her daughter were found guilty of demanding hush money from the Koo family.
The two were convicted of obtaining property by threats because Chang and her mother Teng had threatened and harassed the Koo family, the high court’s ruling said.
Teng and Chang were both indicted by prosecutors in 2005 after DNA tests failed to establish any kinship between Chang and Koo.
Teng said that she had received hush money from Koo for years. After Chang was born, Teng said, Koo gave Chang and Teng two apartments and — since 1994 — monthly cash payments.
The two went public with their claims in 2005, when Koo’s family refused to make any more payments after his death at 89 years old.
According to Teng, 67, she first met Koo in 1964 when he was 48 and she was in her early 20s, and the two had a relationship until Koo’s death.
Three years after Koo and Teng met, she had Chang, who is now 42 years old.
Palauan President Surangel Whipps Jr arrived in Taiwan last night to kick off his first visit to the country since beginning his second term earlier this year. After arriving at Taoyuan International Airport at around 6:30 pm, Whipps and his delegation were welcomed by Minister of Foreign Affairs Lin Chia-lung (林佳龍). Speaking to gathered media, the Palauan leader said he was excited and honored to be back in Taiwan on his first state visit to Taiwan since he was sworn in this January. Among those traveling with Whipps is Minister of State Gustav N. Aitaro, Public Infrastructure
President William Lai (賴清德) yesterday thanked Palau for its continued support of Taiwan's international participation, as Taipei was once again excluded from the World Health Assembly (WHA) currently taking place in Switzerland. "Palau has never stopped voicing support for Taiwan" in the UN General Assembly, the WHO and other UN-affiliated agencies, Lai said during a bilateral meeting with visiting Palau President Surangel Whipps Jr. "We have been profoundly touched by these endorsements," Lai said, praising the Pacific island nation's firm support as "courageous." Lai's remarks came as Taiwan was excluded for the ninth consecutive year from the WHA, which is being held in
RESOLUTIONS DEBATE: Taiwan’s allies said that UN and WHA resolutions cited by China and other nations ‘do not determine Taiwan’s participation in WHO activities’ A proposal to invite Taiwan to this year’s World Health Assembly (WHA) was rejected on Monday, resulting in Taipei’s absence from the annual meeting for a ninth consecutive year, although partners spoke up for Taiwan’s participation at the first day of the meeting. The first agenda item after the opening was a “two-on-two debate” on a proposal to invite Taiwan to participate at the WHA as an observer. Similar to previous years, two countries made statements in favor of the proposal, while two others expressed their opposition. Philippine Secretary of Health Teodoro Herbosa, president of the 78th WHA, accepted the WHA General Committee’s
At least three people died and more than a dozen were injured yesterday afternoon when a vehicle struck a group of pedestrians in New Taipei City’s Sansia District (三峽). The incident happened at about 4pm when a car rammed into pedestrians at an intersection near Bei Da Elementary School. Witnesses said the sedan, being driven at a high speed, ran a red light, knocking scooters out of the way and hitting students crossing the road before careening into a median near the intersection of Guocheng and Guoguang streets. The incident resulted in three deaths and 13 injuries, including the driver, a 78-year-old man
RSS