Taipei prosecutors yesterday searched the offices of Taipei City Hospital and questioned four hospital officials on suspicion of involvement in influencing the selection of contractors for hospital construction projects.
Taipei District Prosecutors Office spokesman Lin Jinn-tsun (
Prosecutors believe information on the lowest bids was leaked to two construction companies to help them win the projects.
Lin also said that the companies cut corners during the construction works and that architect Chou Mao-chi (
The hospital is suspected of helping the two construction companies make NT$400 million (US$12 million) in illegal profits, Lin said.
He said prosecutors were not sure whether the two construction companies had bribed officials from the city hospital or the city government or Chou.
Prosecutors yesterday morning searched 13 locations, including several offices belonging to the hospital and the offices of Chou's company and other construction companies, summoning 12 individuals for questioning.
Among the suspects, four were hospital officials: Taipei City Hospital deputy superintendent Wu Chen-lung (
The questioning was in progress at press time.
Lin said the individuals were suspected of violating the Government Procurement Law (政府採購法).
Meanwhile, the Taipei City Government and Taipei City Hospital expressed regret over the scandal and said that the four hospital staffers were found to be involved in the scandal last April following an internal investigation conducted by the Taipei City Government's Clean Government Commission.
Commission Deputy Director Yu Chih-li (
Taipei City Hospital vice president Huang Chun-cheng (
Taipei Mayor Hau Lung-bin (
Additional reporting by Mo Yan-chih
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