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Chu points finger at spiritual teacher

"Kuo is definitely the one [who is responsible for the case]."

Chu Mei-feng, the former Taipei City councillor who allegedly appears in a recently released VCD

"Spiritual growth" instructor Kuo Yu-ling (郭玉鈴) has emerged as the key suspect behind the secret filming of a video allegedly showing a sexual encounter between a female politician and her married lover, Taipei prosecutors said yesterday.

Kuo has been summoned to appear in court this morning to answer questions about her role in the production of the video, investigators said.

"We will apprehend Kuo if she does not appear in court on time," prosecutors said yesterday.

On Sunday morning, Kuo along with her two children attempted to leave for Hong Kong from CKS International Airport on three open-ended tickets purchased shortly before her flight.

But an emergency travel ban ordered by prosecutors the night before prevented her from making the trip.

Kuo's attempt to leave Taiwan has led to speculation that she may be trying to avoid criminal prosecution.

The 44-year-old woman once taught spirituality lessons to Chu Mei-feng (璩美鳳), the former director of Hsinchu's Cultural Affairs Bureau who is believed to be on the 40-minute sex video.

Tabloid Scoop Weekly distributed the video with last week's edition of its magazine. The videos were promptly confiscated by investigators who believe the publication broke decency and privacy laws.

Investigators are also trying to determine the person behind the video camera, which was shot with a pinhole camera.

Police have focused their attention on Kuo, a teacher at a "spiritual healing" group called Avatar. The instructor once taught Chu spirituality lessons and had access to Chu's Tamsui apartment for almost a year.

According to some reports, Kuo has fallen out with her former student. Other reports claim she stole Chu's bankbook and stamp and withdrew NT$590,000 from her account on Aug. 9 -- five days before the sex video was filmed.

Though Kuo has repeatedly proclaimed her innocence, the 36-year-old Chu pointed the finger at her former instructor yesterday.

"Kuo is definitely the one [who is responsible for the case]," Chu said in a telephone interview with a newspaper reporter yesterday.

Chu -- who hasn't acknow-ledged that she is the one who appears in the video -- also said that she hasn't talked to Kuo for quite some time.

There have also been reports that Kuo is in possession of a second video that depicts a sexual encounter between Chu and a lawmaker in southern Taiwan.

According to reports, the lawmaker has paid NT$6 million to keep the video under wraps, but prosecutors are unwilling to comment on the matter.

Meanwhile, a number of Internet surfers have criticized Chu, saying the former TV journalist is being hypocritical about the secret-taping incident.

In 1992, Chu, a reporter at Taiwan Television Enterprise, was forced to resign after using a hidden camera to compile a report on a local lesbian bar.
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