Taipei prosecutors yesterday indicted a graduate student for allegedly torturing cats and leaving them to die at different locations on the National Taiwan University (NTU) campus.
Lee Nien-lung (李念龍), a graduate student of marine engineering at NTU, allegedly tortured the two cats last year. Prosecutors charged Lee with violation of the Animal Protection Act (動物保護法).
ALLEGATIONS
The indictment stated that on Oct. 8 last year, Lee obtained a cat named “National Day” after contacting its owner over the Internet. He brought the cat to the NTU campus and tortured it, causing hemorrhaging and hydrocephalus, commonly known as water on the brain, the indictment said.
After Lee allegedly tortured the cat, he left it near the NTU library, where it was found by passersby who took it to a veterinarian. The cat could not be saved and was put to sleep.
SECOND CAT
In November last year, Lee telephoned another owner of a cat named “Copal” to say he wanted to adopt it, prosecutors said.
He tortured the cat, causing several broken bones and internal bleeding and then left it to die near his on-campus dormitory, prosecutors said. The cat was found by passersby but could not be revived.
Around 10 cats were found abandoned and with signs of torture near or on the NTU campus. As the number climbed, Internet users collected and passed around information from cat owners, eventually leading them to suspect Lee.
When questioned, Lee denied torturing the animals, saying that he had adopted dozens of cats but had set them free.
Prosecutors found Lee’s testimony to be filled with inconsistencies and yesterday indicted him.
If convicted, Lee could face up to one year in prison.
Eight Chinese naval vessels and 24 military aircraft were detected crossing the median line of the Taiwan Strait between 6am yesterday and 6am today, the Ministry of National Defense said this morning. The aircraft entered Taiwan’s northern, central, southwestern and eastern air defense identification zones, the ministry said. The armed forces responded with mission aircraft, naval vessels and shore-based missile systems to closely monitor the situation, it added. Eight naval vessels, one official ship and 36 aircraft sorties were spotted in total, the ministry said.
The Ministry of Foreign Affairs (MOFA) today said that if South Korea does not reply appropriately to its request to correct Taiwan’s name on its e-Arrival card system before March 31, it would take corresponding measures to alter how South Korea is labeled on the online Taiwan Arrival Card system. South Korea’s e-Arrival card system lists Taiwan as “China (Taiwan)” in the “point of departure” and “next destination” fields. The ministry said that it changed the nationality for South Koreans on Taiwan’s Alien Resident Certificates from “Korea” to “South Korea” on March 1, in a gesture of goodwill and based on the
Taiwanese officials were shown the first of 66 F-16V fighter jets purchased by Taiwan from the United States, the Ministry of National Defense said yesterday, adding the aircraft has completed an initial flight test and is expected to be delivered later this year. A delegation led by Deputy Minister of National Defense Hsu Szu-chien (徐斯儉) visited Lockheed Martin’s F-16 C/D Block 70 (also known as F-16V) assembly line in South Carolina on March 16 to view the aircraft. The jet will undergo a final acceptance flight in the US before being delivered to Taiwan, the
The New Taipei Metro's Sanyin Line and the eastern extension of the Taipei Metro's Tamsui-Xinyi Line (Red Line) are scheduled to begin operations in June, the National Development Council said today. The Red Line, which terminates at Xiangshan Station, would be connected by the 1.4km extension to a new eastern terminal, Guangci/Fengtian Temple Station, while the Sanyin Line would link New Taipei City's Tucheng and Yingge stations via Sanxia District (三峽). The council gave the updates at a council meeting reviewing progress on public construction projects for this year. Taiwan's annual public infrastructure budget would remain at NT$800 billion (US$25.08 billion), with NT$97.3