An acupuncturist accused of pinning a woman to a table with his needles and raping her yesterday began a High Court fight against his extradition to the United States. American national Robert Yang Chang-chun, 54, is wanted in Florida, where he faces a rape charge and fraud charges involving an alleged US$1.9 million (HK$14.68 million) medical billing scam. Yang, owner of a string of acupuncture clinics, allegedly raped his assistant on June 1, 1992. The Florida-based practitioner is said to have suggested late-night treatment as a cure for her cold. He allegedly had the woman lay down on a treatment table, then stuck needles in her legs, arms and neck. The woman claimed the needles had virtually paralysed her, but she had managed to turn her head enough to see Yang with his pants around his ankles. It is alleged Yang raped her, using a condom. The US authorities say Yang and his wife, Vivid, were involved in an elaborate billing fraud from 1989 until Yang fled the US three years later. A US police report said: 'This was done by removing all references to acupuncture treatments in documents and altering the records to suggest doctors working part-time at the six clinics had personally recommended and supervised the physical therapy.' Billings of 'in excess of US$1.9 million' allegedly resulted in Yang receiving Medicare payments of US$927,637. Yang was arrested by Interpol on Christmas Day last year when he arrived at Kai Tak airport from Taiwan. He appeared before magistrate Paul Kelly on April 23, when he was ordered to be extradited to the United States. Yang applied to the High Court to fight the ruling and appeared before Mr Justice Brian Keith yesterday. Mr Justice Keith granted Yang, who has applied for legal aid, an extra two weeks to arrange representation. Yang's previous solicitors, K. Y. Woo and Co, have stopped representing him. 'I need to find a lawyer because I am ignorant of Hong Kong law and procedure,' Yang told the court.
