A man believed to have hired three others to vandalize the offices of Next magazine last August was arrested yesterday.
Police yesterday arrested Chiayi County Council Deputy Speaker Hou Chin-liang (侯金良) as part of the Chihping anti-gangster program (治平專案).
Investigators say that Hou sent the three men to vandalize Next's offices after the magazine reported that the councilor operated a Chiayi pub that offers prostitution.
Next also reported that Hou used his position to facilitate the pub's operations.
Hou vigorously denied the accusations yesterday.
Next yesterday declined to comment on Hou's arrest, saying the "the case is under the legal process."
Authorities have been investigating the case since Aug. 20 last year, when three unmasked men burst into the magazine's administrative office wielding baseball bats.
They destroyed computers and glass doors, leaving after five minutes.
No one was injured in the attack.
On Sept. 3, the Taipei City Police Headquarters arrested three suspects -- Chang Chih-cheng (
The trio reportedly have admitted to involvement in the attack.
According to police, Chang and Hsu said they were hired by Ho for NT$1,000 to participate in the attack.
Ho, however, said he was upset by Next's report on Hou and had acted on his own.
Prosecutors yesterday said they plan to question Hou about the attack.
Although the magazine's sensational reports have embarrassed many Taiwanese celebrities and politicians since it was launched in May last year, most have sought redress in the courts.
On May 24, DPP caucus convener Ker Chien-ming (柯建銘) said he planned to file a libel suit against Next after the magazine reported that the legislator had beaten his wife, sending her to the hospital.
Next magazine was founded by Hong Kong media tycoon Jimmy Lai (
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