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Soothsayer failed to foresee arson attack; prison for perpetrator
Central News Agency
2013-12-26 08:39 PM
Taipei, Dec. 26 (CNA) A prison sentence is in the cards for a Hsinchu County man convicted of setting fire to a fortune teller's house after predictions that he would find success did not come true. Chiu Huai-wei had his fate decided for him, at least for the three years and eight months he will be behind bars.
An engineer in his thirties, Chiu was left fired up because the fortune teller, identified only by the surname Lai, had told him years ago he was destined to become a judge.
At the end of 2011, Chiu sought advice from Lai, who told him that that chances of getting a job in the new year will be better -- a prediction that also did not materialize, Chiu told the court during his trial.
Footage from closed-circuit cameras shows Chiu carrying a container allegedly filled with flammable liquid around the time a fire started at Lai's residence on the night of April 18, 2012, the Hsinchu District Court was told.
Earlier that day, Chiu had gone to confront Lai, accusing the fortune teller of being a hack. "Why am I still unemployed?" an angry Chiu had asked, later adding, "I'll be back for you."
Lai defended his prescience by saying that the judge comment was not a prediction but rather words of encouragement for a young Chiu to study hard. As for the second "prediction," Lai said he had happened to know that a company Chiu had shown interest in was going to start hiring in the coming new year. But in the end, he said, Chiu did not even bother to apply.
"He couldn't expect the boss of the company to come to him, could he?" Lai reportedly told the court. Despite Chiu's denial, the court handed down a guilty verdict and a prison term for arson and a lack of remorse. The verdict can be appealed. The fire, started by ignited gasoline, was put out before anyone was hurt.
(By Lin Rui-yi and Jay Chen)
