The Taiwan High Court yesterday found an air force officer, Lieutenant Colonel Pai Ho-fan (白賀帆), guilty of taking bribes from businesses to secure construction projects at Taichung’s Ching Chuang Kang (CCK) Air Base (清泉崗), and sentenced him to eight years in prison.
In the ruling, the Taichung Branch of the Taiwan High Court said Pai had been found to have received bribe money and frequented hostess bars where his expenses were paid for by contractors in exchange for Pai awarding them contracts.
Pai, 46, was an officer in the Air Force Composite 427th Wing (空軍第427聯隊), and was a section chief for the Logistics Office in charge of airport facilities and technical equipment at the air base.
Another officer, First Lieutenant Huang Hsin-ping (黃信評), also with the Composite 427th Wing, was also found guilty, but he received only a suspended four-month term and probation for two years for forgery and other charges because the judges said Huang was obeying instructions from Pai, his superior at the Logistics Office.
The bribery scandal is another embarrassment for the armed forces, especially amid the extended media coverage of the annual Han Kuang military exercises being conducted this week.
The investigation began in August 2012, when Pai and two other suspects were detained for questioning after irregularities and bid-rigging in a number of tenders were discovered.
The case involved the engineering works of a NT$68.88 million (US$2 million at current exchange rates) project, part of an expansion of the CCK Air Base under the supervision of Air Force Composite 427th Wing, Pai’s service unit.
In March 2011, Sheng Fu Technology Co (盛富科技) secured the project, after its owner, Wang Sen-hsiung (王森雄), allegedly paid bribes to Pai through middle man Kuo Chien-hung (郭建宏), prosecutors said.
According to prosecutors, Pai had in previous years got to know Kuo and other intermediaries who specialize in dealing with defense contractors and suppliers on military tender projects by bribing key procurement officials.
Pai reportedly received at least NT$160,000 in bribes for the 2011 project, along with gifts of a brand-name digital camera and mobile phone, while also being treated numerous times to expensive banquets by Wang and Kuo, and at least seven times going to hostess bars involving suspected sexual services, all paid for by Wang and Kuo, according to the investigation.
Pai allegedly instructed subordinates including Huang to alter wordings and specifications in the tender documents to allow Sheng Fu Technology Co to secure the bid.
The court found Pai guilty of using his position to gain illegal profits, along with embezzlement charges and having violated the Anti-Corruption Act (貪污治罪條例).
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