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VCD suspect's daughter arrested

Kao Chun-chun arrives at a police station early yesterday. PHOTO: LIAO RAY-SHANG, TAIPEI TIMES

Taipei City Police yesterday arrested Kao Chun-chun (高淳淳), the 19-year-old daughter of Kuo Yu-ling (郭玉鈴), the prime suspect in the sex-VCD scandal involving former politician Chu Mei-feng (璩美鳳).

The Taipei District Prosecutors' Office (台北地檢署) served Kao a summons eight days ago, but Kao failed to appear, prompting Prosecutor Lin Jinn-tsun (林錦村) to issue a warrant for her arrest on Wednesday.

"We were hoping that she would contact us to provide testimony and answer our questions before we officially arrested her, but it didn't happen," Lin said.

Police officers from the city's Criminal Investigation Department arrived at the Shihlin apartment of a friend of Kao's around 1am yesterday and arrested Kao at the scene.

After viewing a video taped by a security camera at Chu's Tamsui residence, investigators believe that Kao may have known about the plot against Chu. According to police, the tape shows that Kao had appeared with Chu many times last year, either entering or leaving the building.

Prosecutors and police involved in the investigation said Kao went to the Land Bank of Taiwan's Shihlin branch on Oct. 26 to open a safety-deposit box. Kao was seen leaving the bank with a black bag she had retrieved from the security-deposit box. Tapes from the bank's security camera show that Kao was accompanied by an unidentified female at the time.

"We have a few important questions for her," said a senior police officer with the city's Criminal Investigation Department, on the condition of anonymity. "First of all, we strongly suspect that Kao knows the whereabouts of the original tape and we need to find that out from her. Secondly, what was inside the bag she took from the security deposit box at the bank and where is it now? Thirdly, who was the female accompanying her to the bank?"

After the prosecutor summoned Kao last week, she sent a fax to TVBS, proclaiming her innocence.

"What I took from the security deposit box was an account book for an account in which my mom left some cash to pay for my living expenses," Kao said in her statement. "I have never seen any original tape ... and I barely know anything about the case either."

The police source said that Kao maintained that it was an account book when she was questioned by authorities.

"According to her testimony, there was a total of NT$200,000 in the account. She spent NT$100,000 on attorneys fees and living expenses. She withdrew the rest of the money from the account in early January and still has it with her now."

Yesterday afternoon, Lin, accompanied by prosecutors and the Taipei police, took Kao back to her Shihlin apartment to search for evidence.

Lin refused to comment about the search but said that Kao is now listed as a suspect in the case and prosecutors might request her further detention.
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