One police officer and two business owners were detained yesterday after their homes and businesses in Taichung City were raided earlier this week in an investigation into allegations of police officers taking bribes to protect a sex trade business.
The main suspect, Tsai Tung-ming (蔡東明), a police officer at the Taichung 3rd Precinct, allegedly worked with fellow officers to protect the illicit operations.
The Taichung District Court yesterday morning approved a request by prosecutors to detain Tsai, along with the proprietors of two “health spas,” surnamed Chen (陳) and Hsieh (謝).
Investigators said the two men operated the “health spas” Jin Du and Hong Du, which are known for employing young women to provide body massage and sex services.
They said Tsai and other officers were suspected of taking monthly bribes amounting to tens of thousands of New Taiwan dollars from the two proprietors since 2014.
The officers are also suspected of accepting dinners hosted by the proprietors at various times over the past few years.
Prosecutor Chan Chang-hui (詹常輝) said that the Taichung District Prosecutors’ Office last year received information alleging that some officers were involved in illegal activities and launched an investigation.
Tsai tipped off the proprietors of the health spas whenever there was a planned police search, so the authorities never found any evidence of illegal sex activities, officials said.
At other times, Tsai would head the police team that conducts the search in a ploy to impress his superiors and to pretend he was doing something to “clean up” the sex trade business in the city, they said.
Chan said that the prosecutors’ office had search warrants and was joined by units from the Ministry of Justice’s Agency Against Corruption and the Military Police Command to carry out the raids at nine locations on Wednesday. Nine suspects and 11 witnesses were taken in for questioning.
The three suspects are to be charged with receiving bribes, breach of official duty and leaking state secrets, along with offenses against public morality, Chan said.
Prosecutors said charges could be laid against other Taichung police officers in the coming days, as the other suspects were being questioned in connection with the case.
Prosecutors said they found ledgers during raids at the residences and the two businesses which showed the date and the amount of bribes given to Tsai and other officers.
The proprietors said the entries in the ledgers showed the times Tsai borrowed money from them and had nothing to do with the allegations.
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