《TAIPEI TIMES》Hong Kong man charged over attack on Yaita

Police escorted suspect Liao Gangfa (middle) to the Taichung District Prosecutor's Office. Photo: Taipei Times

Prosecutors said yesterday they had charged a Hong Kong gang member for allegedly attacking Taiwanese political critic Akio Yaita, who was punched in the face in a Taichung hotel lobby in July.

Liao Gang-fa (廖康发), described by prosecutors as a member of the Hong Kong-based He Sheng Gang (He Sheng He), was charged with assault, public insult, public threat and organized crime, the Taichung District Prosecutor's Office said in a statement.

The other four suspects, all members of another Hong Kong gang, were on wanted lists for fleeing Taiwan, prosecutors said.

Prosecutors added that they also continued to investigate who was behind the operation and whether Taiwanese partners were involved.

Yaita is a Japanese journalist who obtained the nationality of the Republic of China in 2024. He was punched in the face after giving a public speech at a Taichung hotel on July 6.

A man using the alias Chen Weihao (陈伟豪) contacted on July 1 a man named Wu, one of the suspects who later fled Taiwan, offering him money to organize a public attack on Yaita to intimidate him, prosecutors said.

Chen allegedly masterminded the scheme, while Wu recruited Liao and three other suspects to carry out various tasks, they said.

The team initially planned for another suspect to attack Yaita with a glass bottle, but that person backed out and left the country after deciding the risk was too high, prosecutors said.

Liao was then recruited to carry out the attack and was paid 100,000 Hong Kong dollars (about $12,742), prosecutors said.

Wu left Taiwan on July 5, the day before Liao allegedly carried out the attack, with another suspect serving as a lookout, they added.

Liao was arrested at Taichung International Airport on July 7 as he tried to flee to Busan, South Korea, while another suspect had already left Taiwan, prosecutors said.

The Taichung District Court approved the prosecutor's request to detain Liao.

Prosecutors are seeking a five-year prison sentence for Liao.

Additional reporting by Jianzhi Chen

News source: Taipei Times

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