2 suspects in Kaohsiung homicide case brought back from South Korea

Kaohsiung, Oct. 18 (CNA) Two suspects who allegedly fled to South Korea after taking part in a fatal assault in Nanzih District, Kaohsiung, last month have been brought back to Taiwan and taken into custody, police said Sunday.

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, according to the Kaohsiung City Police Department's Criminal Investigation Corps.

South Korean police apprehended the two after Taiwan's Criminal Investigation Bureau requested assistance through its liaison officer in South Korea, according to the 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 is ongoing.

The case involving Lin and Liu 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 allege that Mu, Liu and several others assaulted a coworker surnamed Chang (張) at Lin's used-car dealership at around 1 a.m. on Sept. 30, striking his head, buttocks and limbs with hot-melt glue sticks and clubs.

Mu told police 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 the pair on Oct. 1, but investigators subsequently gathered more evidence linking them to the case. According to police, prosecutors later identified the two as key suspects.

When authorities could not locate the two for further questioning, they discovered that the pair had flown to South Korea on Oct. 2. Prosecutors then issued warrants for both men's arrest.

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

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