TAIWANESE singers Jolin Tsai and Elva Hsiao have offered a HK$50m ($9m) reward to anyone who has obscene photographs of them.

Elva added that she would donate NT$100m ($4.5m) to charity if such photos surfaced, reported Apple Daily.

Jolin Tsai

Their 'challenge' comes weeks after the Hong Kong entertainment world was rocked by the obscene photo scandal involving Chinese-Canadian singer and actor Edison Chen and several female celebrities.

Jolin, 27, and Elva, 28, have been romantically linked to Edison and Hong Kong media reported that they risk being 'exposed'.

So far, though, no photos of either performer has surfaced.

The photographs of other women were stolen from Edison's laptop when he sent it for repair in 2006.

'PROOF OF INNOCENCE'

Both women's management agencies said on Tuesday that the singers want to prove their innocence and that the reward does not mean they are obstructing the police in their work.

Jolin and Elva also said in media releases that they would take legal action against defamatory reports about them.

Elva's media release promised to donate NT$100m to charity if any obscene photos of her were found to begenuine.

Edison's management company, the Rich & Famous Talent Management Group, declined comment on the latest move by Jolin and Elva.

In a media release and on her blog, Elva denied having had a liaison with Edison.

'I have never had a relationship with Edison Chen, so I could not have possibly been featured in any obscene photos or videos.'

She said in the release: 'I don't understand why some people try to tarnish my reputation each time I cut a new album.'

Jolin, meanwhile, wants the police to release the names of all the women whose nude photos were found on Edison's computer, reportedly so that innocent parties would not have to suffer.

The media in Hong Kong has reported that there are obscene photos of a woman resembling Jolin, but closer examination confirmed that the woman in the photographs is not her.

Jolin has a tattoo on her left arm, but the fake photographs do not show it.

Her management has said that she has never posed nude and that any obscene photos of her, if any, are fake.

Her NT$100m reward will go to the person who submits the photos.

This story was first published in The New Paper on Feb 28, 2008.