Kaohsiung prosecutors on Thursday announced they would not indict Chen Chih-chung (陳致中) on slander charges, saying their investigation suggested the son of former president Chen Shui-bian (陳水扁) did not slander Chinese Nationalist Party (KMT) Legislator Chiu Yi (邱毅) in their spat over a visit Chen Chih-chung allegedly paid to a prostitute.
However, prosecutors released evidence that they said showed Chen Chih-chung could indeed be the man who solicited a prostitute named “Nicole” as previously alleged by the Chinese-language Next Magazine.
In early July, the magazine ran a front-page photo of Chen Chih-chung alongside a self-styled prostitute named “Nicole,” with the headline: “Breaking News, Chen Chih-chung solicited prostitute.”
ACCUSATIONS
Based on four telephone records and an account of the events from Nicole, who said that the two shared a room that night, the magazine concluded it was likely Chen Chih-chung had frequently solicited prostitutes.
The magazine accused him of picking up Nicole in the early hours of July 3 and then taking her to a small motel in -Kaohsiung City. The magazine carried a picture showing his SUV entering the building, although there were no pictures of Chen Chih-chung himself.
The Kaohsiung District Court ruled against Chen Chih-chung earlier this week in a libel suit he brought against the magazine.
Prosecutors on Thursday released surveillance footage from the parking lot of Chen Chih-chung’s apartment on July 3 showing that his SUV left his residence and returned at the same times reported by the magazine.
PHONE RECORDS
Prosecutors have previously alleged cellphone records showed Chen Chih-chung was the man who solicited the prostitute, saying they believed he placed a SIM card for a cellphone number starting with “0958” in his cellphone and used the number several times to contact a man who runs a prostitution business.
Prosecutors added they found that the telephone records matched the location where the solicitation allegedly took place, claiming the cellphone records showed that Chen Chih-chung should be the man who solicited the prostitute.
Chen Chih-chung yesterday continued to claim his innocence, saying there is no direct evidence proving he solicited a prostitute. Running as an independent candidate for Greater Kaohsiung councilor, he also alleged that the prosecutors were attempting to use the judiciary to interfere with his election campaign.
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