The Taipei District Prosecutors' Office yesterday concluded that former KMT lawmaker Huang Hsien-chou (
Prosecutor Kuo Yung-fa (
Yu Hung-tsan (
"Chan violated Article 328 and the Article 231 of the Criminal Code," said Chen Hung-ta (
"Yu also violated Article 328. However, he turned state's evidence, testifying against the main suspect. According to Article 14-1 of the Witness Protection Law (
Prosecutors also declined to indict Chan Fu-shun (
On Jan. 28, under intense questioning by police and after hearing an audio tape of a conversation between Chan and one of her other lovers, Yu broke down and in a jealous rage and changed his testimony to prosecutors. His new testimony matched Huang's, which led prosecutors to conclude that the former lawmaker's story was true.
On Feb. 9, Chan turned on Yu and changed her testimony as well, saying that she had set Huang up -- but that it was Yu's idea to do so.
Chan had previously told prosecutors that she had arranged for two prostitutes to work a sex party at Taipei's Grand Hyatt Hotel at Huang's request. She also claimed that Yu and her younger brother Chan Fu-shun were at the gathering -- an arrangement she said was also sought by Huang. She also claimed that Huang took drugs at the party.
As for the NT$800,000, Chan said that it was the amount of money that Huang owed her for services rendered.
Huang has stated all along that he was drugged, kidnapped and robbed of NT$800,000 in cash.
Although Huang claims to have been drugged during the kidnapping, Chen said that prosecutors have enough evidence to believe that he is indeed a drug addict.
According to the results of testing done on the hair of Chan, her brother, Yu and Huang, all are drug addicts, according to prosecutors. The tests, investigators concluded, show the consistent use of illegal dugs over a long period of time.
"According to Article 20-1 of the Narcotics Endangerment Prevention Act, prosecutors will ask the Taipei District Court to send all of them to the Ministry of Justice's Drug Abstention and Treatment Center," Chen said.
RETHINK? The defense ministry and Navy Command Headquarters could take over the indigenous submarine project and change its production timeline, a source said Admiral Huang Shu-kuang’s (黃曙光) resignation as head of the Indigenous Submarine Program and as a member of the National Security Council could affect the production of submarines, a source said yesterday. Huang in a statement last night said he had decided to resign due to national security concerns while expressing the hope that it would put a stop to political wrangling that only undermines the advancement of the nation’s defense capabilities. Taiwan People’s Party Legislator Vivian Huang (黃珊珊) yesterday said that the admiral, her older brother, felt it was time for him to step down and that he had completed what he
Taiwan has experienced its most significant improvement in the QS World University Rankings by Subject, data provided on Sunday by international higher education analyst Quacquarelli Symonds (QS) showed. Compared with last year’s edition of the rankings, which measure academic excellence and influence, Taiwanese universities made great improvements in the H Index metric, which evaluates research productivity and its impact, with a notable 30 percent increase overall, QS said. Taiwanese universities also made notable progress in the Citations per Paper metric, which measures the impact of research, achieving a 13 percent increase. Taiwanese universities gained 10 percent in Academic Reputation, but declined 18 percent
UNDER DISCUSSION: The combatant command would integrate fast attack boat and anti-ship missile groups to defend waters closest to the coastline, a source said The military could establish a new combatant command as early as 2026, which would be tasked with defending Taiwan’s territorial waters 24 nautical miles (44.4km) from the nation’s coastline, a source familiar with the matter said yesterday. The new command, which would fall under the Naval Command Headquarters, would be led by a vice admiral and integrate existing fast attack boat and anti-ship missile groups, along with the Naval Maritime Surveillance and Reconnaissance Command, said the source, who asked to remain anonymous. It could be launched by 2026, but details are being discussed and no final timetable has been announced, the source
CHINA REACTS: The patrol and reconnaissance plane ‘transited the Taiwan Strait in international airspace,’ the 7th Fleet said, while Taipei said it saw nothing unusual The US 7th Fleet yesterday said that a US Navy P-8A Poseidon flew through the Taiwan Strait, a day after US and Chinese defense heads held their first talks since November 2022 in an effort to reduce regional tensions. The patrol and reconnaissance plane “transited the Taiwan Strait in international airspace,” the 7th Fleet said in a news release. “By operating within the Taiwan Strait in accordance with international law, the United States upholds the navigational rights and freedoms of all nations.” In a separate statement, the Ministry of National Defense said that it monitored nearby waters and airspace as the aircraft