EDISON CHEN SCANDAL - Couple seen selling VCDs of sex pics here
February 22, 2008

A QUIET industrial park in Toa Payoh got risque this week when two peddlers made their rounds with explicit photos of the female celebrities involved in the Edison Chen scandal.



A reader, who gave his name as Mr Hong, 28, called Lianhe Wanbao hotline to give the alert. He said he saw the couple carrying a sports bag and peddling the VCDs to workers at the various companies in the industrial park.

Each disc was selling at $6.

The disc cover claimed that the disc contained 1,300 photos of the six celebrities involved, such as Cecilia Cheung, Gillian Chung and Bobo Chan.

Mr Hong said: 'The couple quickly drew a small crowd of interested buyers. Some bought two copies, saying one was for their friends.

'The couple sold all their copies in a short while.'

Another reader, who gave his name as Mr Seow, 42, slammed the couple's actions.

He said: 'After news of the sex scandal broke, I knew that it would be a matter of time before these VCDs would be sold here.

'What they did by selling them openly in the streets is simply immoral. It would be disastrous if the youths manage to get copies of these photos.'

The police told the Chinese evening daily that they are monitoring the situation and urged the public to contact the police when they spot anyone who peddles such VCDs.

The explicit photos of these female celebrities who have been romantically linked to Chen appeared last month on the Internet.

The photos were reportedly leaked from Edison's laptop, when he sent it in for repairs.

Edison has issued a statement to apologise to 'anyone who has been affected by this strange, strange ordeal'.

What the couple did in Singapore mirrored similar activities in China and Hong Kong where VCD copies of the photos have been sold openly in the streets.

It has prompted the authorities in the southern China city of Shenzhen to clamp down on the distributors of such photos, with the arrest of 10people yesterday, Xinhua agency reported.

Police there have confiscated around 250 discs and six computers with images of Edison and various women in compromising positions.

Lawyer Sunil Sudheesan from KhattarWong said it is not illegal to view, download or possess obscene photos.

But it is an offence under Section 292 of the Penal Code to distribute such photos. The maximum penalty is a fine and three months' jail.

ILLEGAL ACT
He added that under Sections 29 and 30 of the Films Act, it is illegal to make, distribute, show, import, or possess any obscene video recording, regardless whether it is made on a camera or a mobile phone.

Those caught distributing obscene films face a fine of $2,000 for each copy to a maximum of $80,000, or up to 24 months in jail, or both.

Those caught in possession of obscene films face a fine of $500 for each film to a maximum of $20,000, or up to six months in jail, or both.

Additional reporting by Kor Kian Beng