The Military High Court yesterday ordered the North Military District Court to decide again whether to detain army Staff Sergeant Chen Yi-hsun (陳毅勳) over his involvement in the death of corporal Hung Chung-chiu (洪仲丘) last month.
Chen, who oversaw Hung’s punishment and faces the most serious charge among those indicted, that of causing the death of a subordinate by forcing him to do excessive exercise, was released by the North Military District Court on NT$150,000 bail on Thursday.
Both military prosecutors and Hung’s family appealed the decision.
The North Military District Court announced the hearing would be held at 9:30pm.
Military prosecutors on Wednesday indicted 18 senior officers and non-commissioned officers over Hung’s death. The Military High Court on Friday released former deputy commander of the 542nd Brigade, Colonel Ho Chiang-chung (何江忠) on NT$300,000 bail, company commander Major Hsu Shin-cheng (徐信正) on NT$250,000 bail and Staff Sergeant Fan Tso-hsien (范佐憲) on NT$200,000 bail, while Chen was released on Thursday.
Military High Court spokesman Colonel Ni Yun-shi (倪運喜) said that if the Supreme Military Court ordered the court to decide again on the ruling, the court would hold a hearing to decide whether to detain Ho, Hsu and Fan.
Meanwhile, Hung’s father yesterday asked why the death certificate said that his son had died at home.
The Ministry of National Defense said yesterday that it had been decided that Hung should be sent home before he was pronounced dead, so it was accurate to state that Hung had died at home.
Hung collapsed from heat stroke after exercises on July 3 and died in hospital a day later, just three days before he was due to be discharged from his compulsory military service.
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