For the women who love him, Huang Jen-chung (
As part of the government's attempts to collect NT$1.4 billion in outstanding tax revenue and interest Huang owes, the Ministry of Justice on Friday visited two of Huang's properties in Taipei City.
The justice ministry seized Huang's properties on government orders after Huang failed to present a proposal on how he would repay the debt.
PHOTO: GEORGE TSORNG, TAIPEI TIMES
Huang had earlier publicly refused to pay the amount, saying that "tax evasion is every citizen's obligation."
"I'd rather go to the jail than pay taxes," Huang said during a press conference. "I'll appeal to the Supreme Court if I have to. And if I lose, I'll keep trying and request an interpretation of the Constitution by the Council of Grand Justices."
The justice ministry first confiscated Huang's properties on Nov. 7, including 11 antiques pieces, Chinese paintings and calligraphy.
The tax administration requested Huang come up with a proposal regarding how to pay off the debts within a week.
According to the administration, Huang netted some NT$5 billion in 1995 after selling off stakes owned by his company -- the Huang Lung Investment Co (皇龍投資) -- in Far East Air Transport Corp (遠東航空).
In addition to refusing to pay the income tax on the gains, Huang took the case to court. The court, however, ruled against Huang in early November, causing the tax administration to hound him on the default.
Although the tax administration found out that Huang now owns little property and has only NT$1 million in his bank account, the administration suspects that Huang might have transferred most of his money and properties to his friends and family.
In addition to dodging taxes, Huang is involved in the Taiwan Pineapple (
On Feb. 3, 2000, Huang was indicted along with 19 other people for illegally speculating on the Taiwan Pineapple Group.
He was charged with violating the Securities Transaction Law (
Huang was also indicted for stock speculation in the Ever Fortune Industrial Co.
Ever Fortune is the largest shareholder in EverTransit International Development Corp (
Although Ever Fortune also operates the profit-making Ever Power Plant (
Huang has blamed all his financial troubles on his "refusal to bow to vicious power."
Huang alleged on Jan. 26 that prosecutors and investigators dealing with the Taiwan Pineapple case had attempted to extort money from him.
"They said that if I paid them NT$100 million, they would drop their investigation," Huang said. "In the end, more than 20 people were indicted, including me, just because I refused to pay."
The Taipei Prosecutors' Office has pledged to investigate the case to find out who attempted to extort money from him.
Apart from his financial woes, the 63-year-old Huang has attracted the attention of many women.
One of Huang's most celebrated women friends was the late Pauline Chan (
Chan was a Shanghai-born and Hong Kong-educated entertainer. She jumped to her death on July 31 from a 24-floor building in Shanghai reportedly because of postnatal depression and years of drug abuse.
The biological father of the boy is still unknown.
In Chan's suicide note, she told Huang to take good care of himself and that she was still in love with him even though she had decided to end her own life.
"I won't allow anyone to defame him," she said in the note.
Another woman who is close to Huang is Hsieh Chien-hui (謝千惠), better known as "little Pan-pan" (小潘潘), who has been dubbed as Huang's "favorite adopted daughter."
Commenting on Huang's personal charm, Hsieh said this characteristic contributed it to his sincerity.
"He's the kind of guy who means what he says and puts his words into action," Hsieh said.
Although Huang is well-off, Hsieh said that he has never used his wealth to look down on anyone.
"I've never seen him try to make friends or offer his help in exchange for other people's money or sex," she said.
Instead of bragging about his own fortune, Hsieh said that Huang has always detested women who want to be with him just because of his money.
"One thing he wants me to remember for the rest of my life is that money cannot buy anything, especially a person's heart or their reputation," she said.
Coming from a poor family of seven, Hsieh had to start taking up part-time jobs since she was 12 years old to help put herself through school.
"When I joined [Huang's] company some eight years ago, I had this crazy idea that I might be able to sell some of the inside information about him to the tabloids," she said, chuckling.
According to Hsieh, she was first hired to take care of Huang's ailing sister and then his house manager, chairman of one of Huang's companies. She is an independent candidate for a Taipei City councilor's post.
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