Buddhist master Kai Hung (開泓) was yesterday released on bail of NT$100,000 after he was on Tuesday found to be in possession of controlled drugs.
Prosecutors and police raided Chongfo Temple (崇佛寺) in Miaoli County’s Toufen Township (頭份), where Kai Hung lives and found 19g of amphetamine tablets after a video uploaded to the Internet showed Kai Hung allegedly using illegal drugs, the Criminal Investigation Bureau said.
Kai Hung is seen in the video smoking a pipe, while his behavior is similar to that of people under the influence of drugs, the bureau said.
He makes obscene gestures while walking in front of the camera naked, apparently incoherent, and says: “My husband is amazing,” and “I love my husband,” it said.
The bureau said it is also looking into possible criminal breaches of privacy, as the video allegedly shows Kai Hung having sex with other men.
It was unclear whether the men had agreed to being filmed, but so far no complaints have been filed, investigators said.
When police arrived at the temple they were blocked by nuns who spoke loudly in an apparent attempt to warn Kai Hung, investigators said.
During questioning, Kai Hung admitted to using drugs and filming sex acts, which he said he posted on the Internet, but denied providing drugs to other people or taking people to the temple to use drugs, they said.
Asked by investigators about the purpose of his residence at the temple, Kai Hung said he was “studying Buddhist doctrine.”
Kai Hung was expelled from Tongshan Temple (同善寺) in the county’s Gongguan Township (公館) in September for “behavioral problems,” investigators found.
He previously held the position of secretary-general at the Chinese Young Buddhist Association, they said.
The Central Weather Administration (CWA) today issued a sea warning for Typhoon Fung-wong effective from 5:30pm, while local governments canceled school and work for tomorrow. A land warning is expected to be issued tomorrow morning before it is expected to make landfall on Wednesday, the agency said. Taoyuan, and well as Yilan, Hualien and Penghu counties canceled work and school for tomorrow, as well as mountainous district of Taipei and New Taipei City. For updated information on closures, please visit the Directorate-General of Personnel Administration Web site. As of 5pm today, Fung-wong was about 490km south-southwest of Oluanpi (鵝鑾鼻), Taiwan's southernmost point.
Almost a quarter of volunteer soldiers who signed up from 2021 to last year have sought early discharge, the Legislative Yuan’s Budget Center said in a report. The report said that 12,884 of 52,674 people who volunteered in the period had sought an early exit from the military, returning NT$895.96 million (US$28.86 million) to the government. In 2021, there was a 105.34 percent rise in the volunteer recruitment rate, but the number has steadily declined since then, missing recruitment targets, the Chinese-language United Daily News said, citing the report. In 2021, only 521 volunteers dropped out of the military, the report said, citing
A magnitude 5.3 earthquake struck Kaohsiung at 1pm today, the Central Weather Administration said. The epicenter was in Jiasian District (甲仙), 72.1km north-northeast of Kaohsiung City Hall, at a depth of 7.8km, agency data showed. There were no immediate reports of damage. The earthquake's intensity, which gauges the actual effects of a temblor, was highest in Kaohsiung and Tainan, where it measured a 4 on Taiwan's seven-tier intensity scale. It also measured a 3 in parts of Chiayi City, as well as Pingtung, Yunlin and Hualien counties, data showed.
Nearly 5 million people have signed up to receive the government’s NT$10,000 (US$322) universal cash handout since registration opened on Wednesday last week, with deposits expected to begin tomorrow, the Ministry of Finance said yesterday. After a staggered sign-up last week — based on the final digit of the applicant’s national ID or Alien Resident Certificate number — online registration is open to all eligible Taiwanese nationals, foreign permanent residents and spouses of Taiwanese nationals. Banks are expected to start issuing deposits from 6pm today, the ministry said. Those who completed registration by yesterday are expected to receive their NT$10,000 tomorrow, National Treasury
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