Chiayi prosecutors indicted kidnappers Hsueh Chiu (薛球) and Chen Yi-hua (陳益華) and suggested life sentences for them late on Wednesday night.
Hsueh and Chen have admitted to two kidnapping cases involving massive ransom amounts, as well as 14 cases of theft in seven different cities in the country since 2000.
In addition to indicting Hsueh and Chen, prosecutors said they are looking for two other fugitives who worked with them, as well as an unspecified number of mafia members from Taichung.
"Hsueh and Chen have told us that Hsu Wu-hsiang (許武祥) and Lin Tsai-sheng (林再生) were working with them. Also, a group of `Taichung people' were involved," said Wang Hui-hsing (王輝興), the prosecutor who is in charge of the investigation.
Wang said that Hsueh and Chen still did not want to reveal the identities of the "Taichung people," but prosecutors believe them to be local mafia members. They are currently gathering more evidence to identify them.
"We discovered that Hsu and Lin have escaped to China and we hereby announced them `wanted' as well," Wang said. "Locating and arresting them are currently our priorities and we will try to figure out more details of the crimes committed by this group after we take them into custody," Wang said.
Hsueh, Chen, Hsu and Lin were involved in two big kidnapping cases with huge ransom amounts: the kidnapping of Taichung City Council Speaker Chang Hung-nien (張宏年) and that of the three sons and brother-in-law of Shen Mao-lin (沈茂林), a wealthy businessman in Chiayi. According to Hsueh and Chen's statement to prosecutors, Hsu and Lin were only involved in the first kidnapping case, in Taichung.
On Oct. 1, 2002, the crime ring first allegedly kidnapped Taichung City Council Speaker Chang Hung-nien (張宏年), who was then-vice speaker, and asked for a NT$30 million (US$946,000) ransom. Chang was released after they got the money. Hsueh and Chen told prosecutors that they shared NT$5 million of it. Hsu and Lin shared NT$9 million and the rest of the money went to the shadowy "Taichung people."
On March 10, 2003, Hsueh and Chen, wielding a pistol and an Uzi submachine gun, broke into Shen's residence and seized his three sons and his wife's brother. They told Shen's wife Lin Hsiu-ju (林秀汝) that she would have to pay NT$60 million for the quartet's safe return.
After negotiations, the ransom was reduced to NT$4.8 million and the four were released two days later.
In addition to these two kidnapping cases, Wang said that the two men were also involved in 14 cases of theft in Taoyuan, Hsinchu, Miaoli, Taichung, Yunlin, Chiayi and Tainan since 2000.
"Repeated crimes were the major reason why we decided to suggest life sentences for them," Wang added.
The Ministry of Education (MOE) is to launch a new program to encourage international students to stay in Taiwan and explore job opportunities here after graduation, Deputy Minister of Education Yeh Ping-cheng (葉丙成) said on Friday. The government would provide full scholarships for international students to further their studies for two years in Taiwan, so those who want to pursue a master’s degree can consider applying for the program, he said. The fields included are science, technology, engineering, mathematics, semiconductors and finance, Yeh added. The program, called “Intense 2+2,” would also assist international students who completed the two years of further studies in
Former president Tsai Ing-wen (蔡英文) departed for Europe on Friday night, with planned stops in Lithuania and Denmark. Tsai arrived at Taiwan Taoyuan International Airport on Friday night, but did not speak to reporters before departing. Tsai wrote on social media later that the purpose of the trip was to reaffirm the commitment of Taiwanese to working with democratic allies to promote regional security and stability, upholding freedom and democracy, and defending their homeland. She also expressed hope that through joint efforts, Taiwan and Europe would continue to be partners building up economic resilience on the global stage. The former president was to first
Taiwan will now have four additional national holidays after the Legislative Yuan passed an amendment today, which also made Labor Day a national holiday for all sectors. The Chinese Nationalist Party (KMT) and Taiwan People’s Party (TPP) used their majority in the Legislative Yuan to pass the amendment to the Act on Implementing Memorial Days and State Holidays (紀念日及節日實施辦法), which the parties jointly proposed, in its third and final reading today. The legislature passed the bill to amend the act, which is currently enforced administratively, raising it to the legal level. The new legislation recognizes Confucius’ birthday on Sept. 28, the
The Taipei District Court sentenced babysitters Liu Tsai-hsuan (劉彩萱) and Liu Jou-lin (劉若琳) to life and 18 years in prison respectively today for causing the death of a one-year-old boy in December 2023. The Taipei District Prosecutors’ Office said that Liu Tsai-hsuan was entrusted with the care of a one-year-old boy, nicknamed Kai Kai (剴剴), in August 2023 by the Child Welfare League Foundation. From Sept. 1 to Dec. 23 that year, she and her sister Liu Jou-lin allegedly committed acts of abuse against the boy, who was rushed to the hospital with severe injuries on Dec. 24, 2023, but did not
RSS