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Eight police officers to be tested for Ecstasy

The Taipei District Prosecutors' Office (TDPO) yesterday said that an investigative team will conduct hair analysis on eight police officers from the Chungshan Precinct who are suspected of having invested in an "Ecstasy club" and taking the illegal drug.

The investigative team is being led by TDPO's Chief Prosecutor Hsin Tai-chao (邢泰釗).

According to the prosecutors' office, hair samples from the eight officers will be sent to the Ministry of Justice's Forensic Medicine Research Center for analysis.

"A urine test will only be able to give us an idea as to whether a person has taken any drug within the past week," a prosecutor explained.

"But the hair analysis will give us a complete picture as to whether a person has taken any drug within the past month."

The prosecutors' office also said the investigative team will summon the officers for the hair analysis "very soon," but it did not say the exact date when prosecutors will carry out the summons and the analysis.

If they test positive, the officers will be sent to the justice ministry's Taipei Drug Abstention and Treatment Center for a 10-week program, despite whether the court finds them guilty or not, the prosecutors' office said.

The eight officers -- Hsiao Chi-keng (蕭吉坑), Hung Juei-hung (洪瑞鴻), Bian Hsiao-ming (卞小銘), Chen Kuo-hui (陳國輝), Lu Chien-an (盧建安), Tsai Chi-ying (蔡奇縈), Kang Chao-tai (康昭太) and Wu Yung-chun (巫永均) -- were interviewed by prosecutors about suspected corruption and obstruction of police efforts to crack down on Ecstasy use last Wednesday.

After the interview, the officers -- except for Hsiao and Hung -- were released without any charges.

Hsiao and Hung were both released on bail. Hsiao's bail was set at NT$300,000, while Hung was freed on NT$500,000 bail. Among the eight officers, only Hsiao and Hung have been barred from leaving Taiwan.

Prosecutors suspect the officers of working with Face night club, located in the Chungshan Precinct. The club has been identified as an "Ecstasy club" by police because they have arrested Ecstasy users who illegally possessed or took the pills at the club more than 20 times since October.

The eight officers were suspected of informing the club's employees the exact times of the police raids so the club had time to prepare. Investigators also allege that Hsiao and Hung invested a total of NT$5 million in the night club. The club was closed down last month.

The investigative team has received tips that other than investing and helping the club's employees, some of the officers were alleged to be Ecstasy users themselves.

As a result, Hsin summoned Hsiao, Bian and Wu again for urine tests last Friday. But the prosecutors' office said these three officers all tested negative.

Chungshan Precinct Chief Chen Kuo-an (陳國恩) said that the precinct will cooperate with the prosecutors' office regarding the investigation process.

"I still believe in my own officers," he said. "But we will do what we should do and work with the investigative team to find the moles."
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