The Taiwan High Court yesterday found former New Party legislator Elmer Fung (馮滬祥) not guilty on a charge of raping his Philippine housekeeper in 2004.
Fung had been found guilty by the Taipei District Court and convicted twice by the Taiwan High Court, but after the Philippine woman appeared as a witness and withdrew her accusation, Fung was found not guilty by the Taiwan High Court.
Prosecutors said they could take the case to the Supreme Court.
The Philippine woman, identified only as Rose, accused Fung of raping her in August 2004, and provided prosecutors with the underwear she wore after the alleged rape and a pair she said she wore after she took a shower six hours after the incident.
After the Philippine woman filed the lawsuit, Fung agreed to pay her NT$800,000 in compensation.
Rose’s supporters claimed that the cash was hush money.
Prosecutors and forensic scientists found DNA on the maid’s underwear that matched Fung’s. The victim’s injuries and her statements also corroborated the accusation that Fung had sexually assaulted her, prosecutors had said.
Fung told judges that his former maid had framed him by taking semen from a condom he had used when having intercourse with his wife and smearing it inside her underwear. Fung yesterday said he was glad the court had cleared his reputation.
The first two F-16V Bock 70 jets purchased from the US are expected to arrive in Taiwan around Double Ten National Day, which is on Oct. 10, a military source said yesterday. Of the 66 F-16V Block 70 jets purchased from the US, the first completed production in March, the source said, adding that since then three jets have been produced per month. Although there were reports of engine defects, the issue has been resolved, they said. After the jets arrive in Taiwan, they must first pass testing by the air force before they would officially become Taiwan’s property, they said. The air force
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