A court in Tainan approved the detention Friday of two men linked to a pair of Nov 10. submachine gun attacks on a city councilor's office and a business owned by a member of the Democratic Progressive Party's (DPP) executive committee.
Prosecutors had asked the Tainan District Court to detain and hold the suspects, identified by their last names Kuo (?) and Yang (?), incommunicado to prevent them from colluding or destroying evidence.
The two men are being investigated over suspected infringement of the Controlling Guns, Ammunition and Knives Act, as well as intimidation and facilitating the escape of a criminal under the Criminal Code, the Tainan District Prosecutors Office said.
On Nov. 10, police responding to a 3 a.m. report of exploding firecrackers arrived to find the steel shutter of independent City Councilor Hsieh Tsai-wang's (???) office on Zhongzhen Road in Tainan's Syuejia District riddled with around 30 bullet holes and empty shell cases scattered across the ground.
Surveillance footage recovered by police showed a man, who later sped off on a scooter, firing multiple rounds from a submachine gun into the office, which was also used by Hsieh's daughter, a DPP candidate for city council.
Police later discovered that the same individual had shot up a technology firm belonging to DPP executive committee member Kuo Tsai-chin (???) shortly before arriving at Hsieh's.
Neither location was occupied at the time of the shootings, which did not result in any injuries.
Following an investigation, police issued a warrant for the arrest of Kung Hsiang-chih (???), a Syuejia local with a known criminal history who police believe has already fled Taiwan.
A fourth suspect in the case, Hung Cheng-chun (???), is currently on the run after failing to turn up for the start of a nine-year prison sentence handed down for gun and assault offenses.
At a press event later Friday, Tainan City Police Department Deputy Commissioner Wu Ching-tien (???) said Yang, Kung and Hung were childhood friends, adding all had criminal records.
According to Wu, Hung and Yang ordered the shooting, while Kuo provided the scooter used in Kung's escape, with Yang supplying the gun.
The deputy commissioner told reporters Hung was likely still hiding in Taiwan, adding that police had also identified several others suspected of helping to smuggle Kung out of the country.
Earlier Friday, Prosecutor-General Hsing Tai-chao (???) demanded that the two fugitives Hung and Kung and their accomplices be tracked down and arrested as soon as possible.
Source: Focus Taiwan News Channel