Mon, Feb 06, 2012
China Post/Asia News Network
Taiwanese actress Makiyo apologises after taxi beating
Taiwanese singer and actress Makiyo teared up and broke down as she apologised to the taxi driver beaten up by her Japanese friend, yesterday, accompanied by her mother.
Makiyo and the taxi driver's family held different explanations to how the conflict had stirred and the fight had resulted, and her friend might be subject to legal charges as the taxi driver was seriously injured and remains in a hospital intensive care unit.
Takateru Tomoyori, a Japanese friend of Makiyo, was ordered not to leave Taiwan Saturday after he was arrested and charged with causing bodily harm to a taxi driver following a dispute.
Tomoyori was arrested Friday after striking a taxi driver, surnamed Lin, who suffered serious head injuries, two fractured ribs, a brain hemorrhage and concussion after being struck.
Tomoyori was then released on bail of NT$50,000 (S$2,110). The case has been transferred to the Taipei District Prosecutors' Office.
Local media reported that the incident occurred after taxi driver Lin asked Tomoyori to buckle his seat belt, with Tomoyori reportedly refusing.
Makiyo, who rode in the taxi with Tomoyori, held a Saturday press conference along with Tomoyori to claim they had worn their seat belts while in the taxi and charged that the taxi driver touched Makiyo's breast when returning change to them which led to Tomoyori's attack on Lin. The language barrier also played a role in the dispute, Makiyo added.
Tomoyori speaks Japanese, while Makiyo speaks both Mandarin and Japanese.
Lin's family has since refuted these claims, charging that Makiyo did not even pay the taxi fare, let alone have any change returned to her.
The 27-year-old actress said yesterday that she was intoxicated at the time of the incident and was still confused during the Saturday press conference. She was really sorry for the damage done to driver's family.
Police said Makiyo's claim that Tomoyori was attacking Lin to protect her might not be proven true since many passers-by witnessed the incident, reporting that Tomoyori knocked Lin to the ground and Lin had not fought back.
Huang Mou-hsin, Taipei's deputy chief prosecutor, said in light of the severe injuries suffered by Lin, prosecutors will seek to determine whether the case should be handled as an offense causing severe bodily harm.
Meanwhile, an official statement released on Makiyo's Facebook page Saturday has caused a stir among netizens.
In the statement, Makiyo said that she apologized for the incident causing attention in the media and for wasting social resources. "As I am not the one involved in the case, I cannot comment on it," read the statement.
Many netizens criticized the statement, saying if Makiyo was not involved in the case, it was then not possible that the driver had harassed her, as she said.
"I guess what they wanted to say was they had the right to hit people because she was harassed," noted a netizen on Makiyo's Facebook page.
http://www.divaasia.com/article/15867
Makiyo, from left, Ya-zi and Xiang Ying report to the prosecutors for investigations
Makiyo and two other bit-part actresses were summoned by Taipei’s prosecutors on Monday night about their friend’s taxi assault case.
Makiyo, Ya-zi (ã„šå�) and Xiang Ying (湘瑩) could face jail terms of up to 12 years if they are found guilty of having encouraged their Japanese friend Takateru Tomoyori to beat up the taxi driver.
The incident occurred last Thursday night, when Makiyo and Tomoyori allegedly refused to wear their seat belts, with the conflict escalating into a physical dispute.
According to a witness, Makiyo kicked the door of the taxi after the group got out of the cab — and Tomoyori then kicked the taxi driver in the head.
They then left the scene without calling for an ambulance.
The driver remains in intensive care after suffering serious head injuries, two fractured ribs, a brain hemorrhage and concussion.
The three celebrities’ behavior has triggered waves of criticism on the Internet and in showbiz.
More than 240,000 netizens joined the anti-Makiyo page on Facebook and rapper Yan GuanxiJY (é¡�å† å¸ŒJY) produced a song to ridicule her called Mak!yo suck my D!$%.
Japanese netizens were angered to find that Makiyo is of Japanese and Taiwanese descent, demanding that she withdraw from the showbiz because “No Japanese knows you.”
Senior celebrity figures also condemned them.
It is rumored that Tomoyori is a member of the yakuza, Japan’s mafia.
http://www.maydaily.com/2012/02/07/makiyo-faces-jail-for-assault-on-taxi-driver/
