Taiwan News
Date: 2016-04-13
By: George Liao, Taiwan News, Staff Writer

Jhuci Township chief Wang Kun-hung was taken into custody on Wednesday morning on suspicion of hiring a hitman to kill a policeman, who was said to be Wang’s love enemy.

Chiayi City policeman Lin Chin-chung was shot dead by a man with a shotgun on the night of Jan. 29. After investigation, the police arrested Liu Ray-tang in Tainan City in March on suspicion of being hired to kill the policeman.

During the investigation, prosecutors found that Lin had a close relationship with the township chief’s ex-wife, surnamed Guan. Prosecutors found a nude photo of Guan in Lin’s cell phone.     [FULL  STORY]

Focus Taiwan
Date: 2016/04/13
By: J.K. Liao, Flor Wang and Elaine Hou

Taipei, April 13 (CNA) The Taichung District Prosecutors Office and Investigation Bureau agents have made the biggest haul of illegal drugs in Taiwan’s history, the Ministry of Justice announced Wednesday.

Along with seizing 263.5 kilograms of ketamine and 1,520 kg of ephedrine with an estimated market value of NT$1 billion (US$30.89 million), the authorities also arrested two suspects surnamed Cheng and Lee.

Speaking at a news conference on the massive bust, Justice Minister Luo Ying-shay (羅瑩雪) lauded the efforts of prosecutors, police and investigators in breaking the case.

Taichung customs officers found a suspicious shipment of goods from China March 31, and suspected that drugs were hidden in a consignment of decorative pandas and mushrooms, as well as cans of car wax. They then reported the case to Taichung prosecutors and police for further investigation.     [FULL  STORY]

The Standard
April 13, 2016

The main Hong Kong suspect and two others wanted in the “concrete coffin” murder case after they fled to Taiwan are expected to be deported today amid unprecedented cooperation.

The arrest of the main suspect, Tsang Cheung-yan, 26, and two other men came after the fourth suspect – Tsang’s 18-year-old girlfriend, named Ho – reported to Taiwan police on Sunday as she feared for her safety.

The case came to light in March when police found the decomposing body of Cheung Man-li, 28, in a cement-filled wooden box in a converted residential unit of an industrial building in Tsuen Wan.

Cheung, who was jobless, had been reported missing earlier last month.

He had been demanding repayment of a HK$1 million debt, which he borrowed from his family for his friends.

Tsang was living in the unit.

Taiwanese police said Ho, whose nickname is “Little Grass,” went to a police station accompanied by a male friend in Taipei on Sunday evening to report a missing passport and her visa expiring. Police questioning led to her revealing her identity and the case being uncovered.     [FULL  STORY]

Citizen Digital
Date: 12 April 2016
By: Reuters

Kenya police used force to put Taiwanese on plane to China- Taiwan
Kenyan police broke through a police station wall and threw tear gas canisters to force a second group of Taiwanese on to a Chinese plane on Tuesday, Taiwan’s foreign ministry said, in a bizarre diplomatic row in which Taiwan has accused China of abduction.

The Kenyan government and police were not immediately available for comment.

Taiwan on Monday accused China, which regards the self-ruled island as a breakaway province, of kidnapping eight of its nationals, who it said had been acquitted in a cyber crime case in Kenya, and deporting them to China on Friday from the Nairobi district of Kilimani. It said China had pressured Kenyan police to put the eight on the plane.

On Tuesday, another 37 Taiwan nationals were forced on to a Chinese plane, Taiwan’s Foreign Ministry said.

“The 15 locked up at the police station steadfastly refused to be deported (to China),” said Antonio C.S. Chen, the chief of Taiwan’s foreign ministry department in charge of West Asian and African Affairs.

“So police broke through the wall, threw tear gas and then about 10 police entered with assault rifles,” Chen told a news briefing in Taipei.     [FULL  STORY]

The New York Times
Date: April 12, 2016
By AUSTIN RAMZY

Taiwan’s military denied any involvement on Tuesday in the case of a

Taiwan’s flag flying on one of its warships. In recent decades, the United States has had very few cases that hinted of intelligence activities by Taiwan. Credit Ritchie B. Tongo/European Pressphoto Agency

United States naval officer under investigation on suspicion of providing secret information to Taiwan or China.

The Navy is weighing charges of espionage against the officer, a naturalized American citizen born in Taiwan. Investigators believe that the officer, Lt. Cmdr. Edward C. Lin, 39, may have given secret information to a Chinese girlfriend. He is also accused of visiting a prostitute, infidelity, not disclosing foreign travel and lying to investigators.

Maj. Gen. David Lo, a spokesman for Taiwan’s Ministry of Defense, said that American investigators had not contacted Taiwan and that he was unfamiliar with the details of the case. But in a news conference on Tuesday, he denied that Taiwan would have pursued such spying.

“We have absolutely never used or exploited current or former U.S. military personnel to help with any intelligence gathering,” General Lo said.     [FULL  STORY]

Fox 13 Salt Lake Cirty
Date: April 12, 2016
By: Ashton Edwards

TAIWAN – The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints has confirmed a missionary was hit by a car and killed in Taiwan.

Elder David Hampton, 18, was riding his bike when a car hit him.

He was from North Ogden, Utah.

Elder Hampton’s family sent Fox 13 this statement:

We heard early this morning that our son David, who was serving as a missionary in the Taiwan Taichung mission, had been had been hit by a car while he was riding his bike. He did not survive the accident and we are truly saddened by the event – as can be imagined we are still processing the news. However, we are thankful he was serving the Lord as a missionary. In each of his letters he expressed his pleasure to be on a mission. It was hard work but it was a blessing for him and for us. And we know it will continue to be a blessing for us. He ended every letter with the phrase he was living by – “It is not about you”, and indeed it is not. Our faith is strong that he has been taken home to that God who gave him life. We have a daughter who is still serving as a missionary in the Tahiti mission. We have spoken with her and she has also expressed her gratitude and testimony that David was serving the Lord. At this point we have not decided what she will do.

We are thankful for our family who is with us and appreciate and are strengthened by their love and prayers, and the love and prayers expressed by so many others.
At this point, we do not have any other information about the funeral or when he will be brought home.

– Steve and Cyndi Hampton

[FULL STORY]

Taiwan Today
Date: April 12, 2016

Premier Chang San-cheng met with Premier-designate Lin Chuan April 8 in

Premier Chang San-cheng (right) welcomes Premier-designate Lin Chuan before their meeting at the Cabinet April 8 in Taipei City. (Courtesy of Executive Yuan)

Taipei City, sharing commitment to cooperating on administrative affairs, budget and personnel in the lead up to the May 20 handover of power.

“We have confidence in the incoming Cabinet’s ability to tackle the challenges Taiwan is facing,” Chang said before the hourlong meeting, expressing his respect and good wishes to his successor. “I expect Lin and his team to deliver outstanding performance in the years ahead.”

In terms of administrative affairs, Lin aims to initiate in-depth exchanges so the new government of President-elect Tsai Ing-wen of the Democratic Progressive Party can take over seamlessly.

According to Cabinet Spokesman Sun Lih-chyun, efforts in this regard have already begun, with the Executive Yuan delivering briefings on each ministry’s affairs to the government transition task force.     [FULL  STORY]

Focus Taiwan
Date: 2016/04/12
By: Tang Pei-chun and Lilian Wu

Taipei, April 12 (CNA) Taiwan is indignant that Kenya police brandished submachine guns and tear gas to force 37 Taiwan nationals suspected of phone fraud to board a plane bound for China on Tuesday.

Considering the move a violation of Taiwan’s jurisdiction over its nationals, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs lodged a strong protest to Nairobi after its efforts to block the move failed.

It came just days after Kenya handed over eight Taiwan nationals, who were acquitted by a Kenyan court of operating telecommunications equipment without a license on April 5, to China by putting them on a China Southern Airlines flight to China on April 8.

Antonio Chen (陳俊賢), director-general of MOFA’s Department of West Asian and African Affairs, said he was notified at 3 a.m. Tuesday that Kenyan police intended to send 22 Taiwan nationals arrested on April 8 and 15 others also acquitted by the Kenyan court.     [FULL  STORY]