Taichung City Police Chief Frank Chiu (邱豐光) yesterday said footage from alleged gangster Weng Chi-nan’s (翁奇楠) office could only be retrieved as far back as May 22, adding that the public should have full confidence in the police investigation.
“The hard drive from the security video system can only retain video clips spanning a maximum of five days,” Chiu said.
The Taichung police chief made the remarks in response to allegations that police were withholding certain video clips of the crime scene. On Monday night, police made public video clips taken during the homicide, in which Weng was shot to death in his office on May 28.
Video clips made public during the press conference on Monday put Taichung police in a bad light, showing four senior officers and a retired officer playing mahjong in the room when Weng was murdered.
The footage also showed Weng exiting his car and walking into his office, followed by his girlfriend and an employee surnamed Lin (林) at 4:19pm on May 28.
The gunman is then seen walking into the office and opening fire about 30 seconds later.
Lin, who was carrying Weng’s briefcase, dropped it in an alley while the gunman was shooting. He is seen trying to retrieve the briefcase after the shooting, but it was retrieved by police after they arrived at the scene.
Asked if the briefcase contained drugs, Taichung City Police Department First Precinct’s Investigation Team Captain Yang Chun-hsien (楊春賢) said the briefcase contained Weng’s bank books, stamps, business cards and company posters.
Meanwhile, police confirmed that a total of nine police officers were seen in footage between May 22 and May 28, adding that prosecutors were trying to determine the nature of their relations with Weng.
Yang said Criminal Investigation Corps’ Second Division sergeants Huang Chih-ming (黃志明) and Chiang Chen-chien (江振堅), officer Huang Lung-sheng (黃隴聲), Third Division sergeants Lu Chien-bang (陸建邦) and Hou Chih-peng (侯志鵬) were the other five officers seen in the footage. The five officers received minor demerits.
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