Prosecutors Seek Life Sentence for Former National Fire Chief

Prosecutors Seek Life Sentence for Former National Fire Chief

Sources: All Taipei newspapers

December 26, 2012

The Taipei District Prosecutors Office yesterday concluded its investigation into a corruption scandal involving Huang Chi-min (黃季敏), former director-general of the National Fire Agency (NFA), and discovered that Huang had received NT$ 19.24 million in bribes in nine procurement cases dating from 2002 to 2006. The prosecutors formally indicted Huang and five other NFA officials on charges of corruption, profiteering others, receiving bribes, money-laundering, and forgery. The prosecutors are seeking a life sentence for Huang as the criminal offenses he has been charged with put people’s lives at risk since some of the life-saving equipment procured on his watch was not up to the required standards.

The prosecutors issued an APB for the arrest of Huang’s son, Yu-sheng, as he had assisted his father to launder approximately NT$ 60 million in illicit gains. Huang Chi-min’s elder brother, Wen-chou, and five other businessmen were indicted for giving bribes and violations of the Government Procurement Act.

In addition, the prosecutors plan to conduct a separate investigation into an allegation that Huang had given bribes to former President Chen Shui-bian to secure his promotion as director-general of the National Fire Agency.

The prosecutors found that Huang had asked his elder brother to act as his “white glove” (proxy) by repeatedly transferring illicit gains between dummy accounts to launder the money. Huang had originally believed that the prosecutors and investigators would be unable to unearth any signs of corruption. However, all of the bank transfers were documented in his elder brother’s accounting records, which, along with his brother’s testimony, became the most crucial evidence in the indictment.

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