An army investigation in to whether a soldier deliberately jumped from a ship taking him to the frontline Matsu islands will focus on why he put on a life jacket before he fell in.
The army said yesterday it was eager to find out why private first class Liu Chin-hung (
"Liu said he put on the life jacket because he could not swim," army spokesman Major General Hsiao Ju-po (
However, the army said it had reason to doubt Liu's version of events.
"There was then no rule requiring soldiers on the ship to put on life jackets while moving on deck," Hsiao said.
"Liu's previous travel record on charter ships sailing between the Matsu islands and Taiwan proper did not indicate that he was in the habit of putting on a life jacket while on board," he said.
Hsiao was replying to media inquiries at a regular press conference of the Ministry of National Defense yesterday.
It was discovered that Liu was missing from a civil transport ship chartered by the army bound for the Matsu islands early on July 6. Two days later the army was notified that Liu had been rescued and sent to a hospital in Fujian Province.
The soldier returned to Matsu islands on Monday in the company of a PFP lawmaker and several administrative chiefs of the Matsu region, who volunteered to go to China to handle the affair.
On his return, Liu dodged questions about whether he had planned to defect to China, insisting he had fallen into the sea by accident.
The Matsu branch of the military prosecutors' office is now investigating the case.
Hsiao said the army doubted Liu's explanation of what had happened, but declined to elaborate.
Another army official, who wished to remain anonymous, said that besides the life jacket, Liu also has to explain why he changed into civilian clothes before he fell into the sea.
All the soldiers on Liu's ship, the Hofu Express, wore military uniforms throughout the journey, he said.
Liu was reported by some newspapers to have written in his diary that he wanted to seek a Buddhist career in China.
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