Taichung investigators came under fire yesterday for failing to arrest TV host Chang Shih-chieh (張世傑), who was indicted for illegal trading.
Taichung District Prosecutors' Office spokesman Hung Pai-ken (
Hung said Taichung prosecutors and police officers went to Chang's residence in Taipei on Tuesday night to arrest him. Chang, telling investigators he would go with them after he had changed his pants, went inside and closed the door.
Investigators waited for a while before calling a locksmith to open the door, Hung said.
Once inside, they found that Chang had fled from his residence via a "back channel" connecting his residence to the stairs of the building.
Chang, who is barred from leaving the country, attempted to flee via Kaohsiung International Airport using a fake passport on Aug. 22, but his identity was discovered and he was arrested at the airport, Hung said.
Customs officials said Chang was trying to flee the country with a large sum of money, several antiques, calligraphy and Chinese paintings.
The Kaohsiung District Court rejected Kaohsiung prosecutors' request that Chang be detained but allowed for his release on NT$200,000 bail, Hung said.
Taichung officials, who had been monitoring Chang since his released on Aug. 23, found that he had gotten in touch with gangsters who would help him flee to China by boat, Hung said.
At his residence, investigators seized 10 photos of Chang, under different guises, which could have been used to produce fake IDs or passports, Hung said.
Chang, along with People First Party Legislator Fu Kun-chi (傅崑萁), were indicted in August 2005 for violating the Securities Transaction Law (證券交易法) and breach of trust for their involvement in illegal trading of Hold-Key Wire & Cable Cooperation (合機電線電纜公司) shares.
Fu allegedly ordered Chang -- host of a stock market investment program on Taiwan TV -- to present false information about Hold-Key shares to the public.
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