Alleged Hong Kong gangster indicted over attack on political commentator Yaita

Oct. 6 (CNA) Prosecutors on Tuesday said they had indicted a Hong Kong gang member over the assault of Taiwan-based political commentator Akio Yaita, who was punched in the face in a Taichung hotel lobby in July.

Liu Kong-faat (廖港發), described by prosecutors as a ranking member of the Hong Kong-based Wo Shing Wo (和勝和), was charged with assault, public insult, public threat and organized crime, the Taichung District Prosecutors Office said in a statement.

Prosecutors said that four other suspects, all members of another Hong Kong gang, had been placed on a wanted list after fleeing Taiwan.

Prosecutors added that they were also continuing to investigate who masterminded the operation and whether there were any accomplices in Taiwan.

Yaita, a Japanese journalist who acquired Republic of China (Taiwan) citizenship in 2024, was punched in the face after giving a public speech at a Taichung hotel on July 6.

According to prosecutors, a man using the alias Chen Wei-hao (陳偉豪) contacted a man surnamed Ng (吳), one of the suspects who later fled Taiwan, on July 1, offering him funds to organize an operation to publicly assault Yaita in an attempt to intimidate the exercise of free speech.

Liu and the other suspects entered Taiwan on July 1. However, two of the individuals withdrew from the operation before it was carried out after deciding it was too risky, prosecutors said.

Ng left Taiwan on July 5, the day before Liu carried out the attack, with another suspect acting as a lookout, prosecutors added.

Liu was arrested at Taichung International Airport while attempting to flee to Busan, South Korea, while the other suspect had already left Taiwan, prosecutors said.

The Taichung District Court approved prosecutors' request to detain Liu on July 7.

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