Sung faces 13 years for corruption

Former director of the Department of Military Student Training and Education, Sung Wen, is shown in this July 15 file photo. Sung faces up to 13 years behind bars if found guilty of corruption. TAIPEI TIMES FILE PHOTO

The former director of the Department of Student Military Training under the Ministry of Education, Sung Wen (宋文), was indicted on charges of corruption yesterday. Prosecutors recommended a 13-year sentence if he is found guilty.

"The investigation into [Sung's] alleged theft of public funds is complete," said Chen Hung-ta (陳宏達), spokesman of the Taipei District Prosecutors' Office. "We are now investigating allegations that he demanded bribes from his fellow military instructors in exchange for promotions."

Sung currently detained at the Taipei Detention House and has been there since July 16. The case first surfaced in the beginning of July, when a local Chinese-language newspaper reported that Sung allegedly took advantage of his son's wedding dinner to accept bribes. The story said that Sung allegedly "implied" that subordinate military instructors would receive promotions if they "donated" lucky money at the wedding dinner on June 19.

In addition to the report, two of Sung's subordinates reported to the Bureau of Investigation that Sung had abused his power by demanding NT$10,000 to NT$100,000 in exchange for promotions. On this accusation, prosecutors said that they have not yet collected sufficient evidence to prove Sung's guilt. Prosecutors said they did, however, have enough evidence to prove allegations that Sung fabricated rent payments on his apartment in order to claim extra reimbursements from the Ministry of Education. According to the investigation, Sung has lived in his current residence for five years, collecting at least NT$2.1 million from false reimbursement claims.

In addition, prosecutors said that Sung accepted kickbacks from textbook publishers over his nine-year tenure with the Ministry of Education.

Sung denied that he extorted his subordinates and said that he was framed by people with whom he had feuded. He also said he suspected his support of the pan-blue camp had resulted in his being framed by pan-green elements within the government.

According to the indictment, Sung was accused of soliciting and accepting bribes from subordinates while he was the head of the country's 4,600 military instructors who are based at high school, university and college campuses.

Based the Statute for Punishment of Corruption (貪污治罪條例), an officer who takes bribes and is convicted of corruption charges will be sentenced to at least seven years in prison and fined up to NT$60 million.