Wang Ta-Lu arrested again: First military evasion, now assault allegations

Taiwanese actor Darren Wang (also known as Wang Ta-Lu) was taken into custody on March 4 for questioning over an assault, less than a month after he was arrested by Taiwanese authorities for allegedly dodging military service.

(READ MORE: Taiwanese actor Wang Ta-lu arrested: Here’s what went down)

The 33-year-old star, who is also known by his Chinese name Wang Ta-lu, is accused of instigating a friend to attack a private-hire driver in April 2024.

The news has dominated headlines in Taiwan, as Wang was originally taken in on the charge of attempted murder, though it has now been revised to assault.

According to various Taiwanese news outlets, the actor – known for his breakout role in romance film Our Times (2015) – reportedly requested a ride via private-hire service Uber when he was travelling within Taipei on April 18.

A video clip reportedly from that day showed Wang slamming the door of the car and making a rude gesture at the driver.

The Uber driver had picked him up in a Tesla, which Wang disliked. The actor also had a verbal altercation with the driver, whom he suspected of taking a longer route.

After arriving at his destination, Wang realised he had left his car keys in the Tesla and had trouble retrieving them as he did not know how to open the car’s door. He then banged on the vehicle’s window, resulting in another quarrel with the driver.

Following the incident, Wang complained about the driver to his friend Yu Hsiang-min. Wang told Yu he was bullied by the driver and suggested taking revenge on him.

Yu managed to track down the driver, who was allegedly severely beaten on April 25. Reportedly, the assault was captured on camera and Wang – who was not present at the attack – showed the clip to others.

As the driver did not know who attacked him or why, there was no progress made on the case for almost a year. But Wang’s involvement was revealed after the police found the clip of the assault on his mobile phone during their investigations into Wang’s alleged attempt at draft dodging.

Men aged 19 to 36 in Taiwan have to fulfil mandatory military service. Wang is suspected to have engaged a crime syndicate to help him evade conscription. He allegedly paid NT$1 million (S$40,830) and faked having a heart condition to get an exemption. He was arrested on Feb 18 and released on bail of NT$150,000 later that day.

After seven hours of questioning on March 4, Wang was released the next day on bail of NT$5 million. A media scrum gathered outside the police station and swarmed around him when he posted bail on March 5. He did not respond to questions from the media, and repeatedly said “Thank you”.

Taiwanese news outlet Mirror Media said Wang’s father – reportedly a wealthy antiques collector – told reporters: “As a father, I am in pain seeing my child in such a situation. Regardless of what the outcome might be, he has to be accountable for his actions.”

This article was originally published in The Straits Times.