The owner of a cram school in Greater Taichung was arrested Tuesday over accusations that he physically assaulted and threatened local competitors on several occasions.
Lee Shen-kuang (李慎廣), 45, proprietor of the Taichung-based private Chung Ru Lin Literature and Science Institute (中儒林) and a renowned mathematics instructor going under the pseudonym of Cho Hao (卓澔), allegedly enlisted a number of gangsters to teach his former business partners a lesson, police said.
Two instructors, surnamed Chang (張) and Wei (魏), had been jointly operating three teaching centers in Taichung — Chung Ru Lin, Ru Lin (儒林) and Hsiao Ru Lin (小儒林) — as well as one in Taipei, with Lee until October 2009, when Lee demanded a larger cut of the institutions’ revenue, which he was denied, police said.
The three subsequently dissolved their partnership, with Lee buying out Chang’s and Wei’s shares in Chung Ru Lin and managing the institution by himself, while Chang and Wei took control of the others, the police said.
Police said that shortly after the dissolution of the partnership, Lee’s cram school suffered a setback when it failed to enroll enough students and, enraged by his financial difficulties, Lee allegedly began feuding with his former associates.
Police said these rows spawned a spate of violent crimes in July last year.
According to the police, Lee instructed alleged gang members, including 41-year-old Chien Chien-feng (簡健烽) and his 40-year-old cousin Chang Wei-chih (張偉智), to splatter paint on and throw Molotov cocktails at the residence of Ru Lin’s director, surnamed Chen (陳), and puncture the tires of vehicles belonging to Chang and Wei.
In February, Lee allegedly instigated two unknown men to beat Chang as he left the Ru Lin institute after classes. In March, police said Lee threatened to chop off Wei’s feet and hands in front of hundreds of terrified students during class, then dragged him off the podium.
Lee’s arrest Tuesday marked the first time a renowned educator was arrested under the Criminal Investigation Bureau’s Chihping Anti-Gangster Program (治平專案).
Chung Ru Lin director Chiu Chun-wen (邱俊文) said in response to the arrest that Lee was an educator who lived a simple life and was not involved in any wrongdoing.
“I am confident that the judicial system will clear his name,” Chiu said.
According to the Taichung Supplementary Education Enterprise Association, as a result of the country’s dwindling fertility rate, the supplemental education market for high-school students preparing for college entrance examinations in Taichung has shrunk dramatically, causing fierce competition in an already saturated market.
PROCEDURE: Although there is already a cross-strait agreement in place for the extradition of criminals, ample notice is meant to be given to the other side first Ten Taiwanese who were involved in fraud-related crimes in China were extradited back to Taiwan via Kinmen County on Wednesday, four of whom are convicted fraudsters in Taiwan. The 10 people arrived via a ferry operating between Xiamen and Kinmen, also known as the “small three links.” The Kinmen County Prosecutors’ Office yesterday said that four of the 10 extradited people were convicted in Taiwan for committing fraud and contravening the Money Laundering Control Act (洗錢防制法), and were on the wanted list. They were immediately arrested upon arrival and sent to Kinmen Prison to serve their sentences following brief questioning, the office said.
‘REGRETTABLE’: Travelers reported that Seoul’s online arrival card system lists Taiwan as ‘China (Taiwan),’ the Ministry of Foreign Affairs said The Ministry of Foreign Affairs yesterday urged South Korea to correct the way Taiwan is listed in its newly launched e-Arrival card system, saying the current designation downgrades the nation’s status. South Korea rolled out the online system on Feb. 24 to gradually replace paper arrival cards, which it plans to phase out by next year. Travelers must complete the electronic form up to 72 hours before entering the country. The ministry said it has received multiple complaints from Taiwanese travelers saying that the system lists Taiwan as “China (Taiwan)” in dropdown menus for both “place of departure” and “next
A small number of Taiwanese this year lost their citizenship rights after traveling in China and obtaining a one-time Chinese passport to cross the border into Russia, a source said today. The people signed up through Chinese travel agencies for tours of neighboring Russia with companies claiming they could obtain Russian visas and fast-track border clearance, the source said on condition of anonymity. The travelers were actually issued one-time-use Chinese passports, they said. Taiwanese are prohibited from holding a Chinese passport or household registration. If found to have a Chinese ID, they may lose their resident status under Article 9-1
VIGILANT: Enterovirus activity remains in the epidemic phase, with the CDC urging caregivers of infected children to be on the lookout for signs of severe illness Influenza activity is rising in neighboring countries, and, with temperatures forecast to drop this week, flu cases are expected to increase in the next two weeks, the Centers for Disease Control (CDC) said yesterday. Hospitals reported 87,162 visits for flu-like illnesses between Nov. 23 and Saturday, which remained about the same level as the previous week, but nine deaths and 24 cases with serious flu complications were also confirmed last week, CDC Epidemic Intelligence Center Director Guo Hung-wei (郭宏偉) said. Flu activity reached a peak in late September before declining for eight consecutive weeks, CDC Deputy Director-General and spokesman Lin Min-cheng (林明誠)
RSS