Two held in deadly assault case

Two suspects who went to South Korea after allegedly taking part in a fatal assault in Kaohsiung’s Nanzih District (楠梓) last month have been brought back to Taiwan and taken into custody, police said yesterday.

The suspects, a 25-year-old used-car dealership owner surnamed Lin (林) and a 23-year-old employee surnamed Liu (劉), arrived at Taiwan Taoyuan International Airport on Saturday, where they were arrested by a special team investigating the case, the Kaohsiung City Police Department’s Criminal Investigation Corps said.

South Korean police apprehended the two after Taiwan’s Criminal Investigation Bureau requested assistance through its liaison officer in South Korea, the corps said.

A suspect, fourth left, is escorted by authorities upon arriving at Taoyuan International Airport on Saturday.

Photo courtesy of Kaohsiung City Police Department’s Criminal Investigation Corps

Investigators suspect that Lin orchestrated the assault and that Liu took part in beating the victim. Both men have denied any wrongdoing, and the investigation continues.

The case came to light on Sept. 30, when a 22-year-old man surnamed Mu (穆) called the Nanzih Precinct of the Kaohsiung City Police Department to report that he had accidentally beaten a coworker to death.

Mu later drove the victim’s body to the police station and turned himself in.

Prosecutors said Mu, Liu and several others assaulted a coworker surnamed Chang (張) at Lin’s used-car dealership at about 1am on Sept. 30, striking him with hot glue sticks and clubs.

Mu told police that the attack stemmed from a dispute over NT$100,000 (US$3,079) the victim allegedly owed.

Police had initially questioned Lin and Liu before releasing them on Oct. 1, but investigators subsequently gathered more evidence linking them to the case. Prosecutors later identified the two as key suspects, police said.

When authorities could not locate them for further questioning, they discovered that they had flown to South Korea on Oct. 2. Prosecutors then issued warrants for their arrest.

Mu and three other suspects surnamed Wu (吳), Yeh (葉) and Chen (陳) have been ordered detained on suspicion of murder after prosecutors said that they were flight risks and could coordinate their accounts or tamper with evidence.

A juvenile surnamed Huang (黃) has been referred to juvenile court.