Prosecutors wrapped up their investigation into the building collapse disaster in Tainan by bringing charges of professional negligence causing death against five suspects, including the main figure in the case, developer Lin Ming-hui (林明輝), and the two architects in charge of building design and carrying out the construction.
Officials at the Tainan District Prosecutors’ Office yesterday said the five suspects were responsible for the disaster on Feb. 6, in which the Weiguan Jinlong residential complex collapsed during an earthquake, leaving 115 people dead and 96 injured, and they are requesting the maximum sentence.
In addition to the 64-year-old Lin, the others charged were Cheng Chin-kuei (鄭進貴), 63, and Chang Kuei-pao (張魁寶), 63, the building’s architects, along with Hung Hsian-han (洪仙汗), 58, head of the building design division at Lin’s company, and Cheng Tung-hsu (鄭東旭), 52, a structural design technician hired for the building project.
Photo: CNA
Lin and the two architects, who have been detained without bail since Feb. 9, were transferred to the custody of the Tainan District Court after yesterday’s indictment, and the court judge is to decide at a bail hearing whether to continue to detain them.
Prosecutors said Lin and Hung made shortcuts and alterations during the project’s design and construction process with the aim of cutting expenditure, and also skimmed on building materials, which affected the structural safety and stability of the residential complex.
The indictment statement alleged that Lin and Hung did not follow proper construction procedures and reduced the amount of steel rebar and connecting bars, as well as the diameter of the pillars, and engaged in other shoddy practices.
The two architects were hired by Lin as designer and supervisor for the construction, but the building’s design blueprint and its structural safety were not certified by licensed architectural firms, prosecutors said.
They also alleged that Lin borrowed a building construction license from another firm, and had no safety supervisor or certified technicians at the construction site to oversee the progress of the project.
The presiding judge last night denied bail to Lin and continued to hold him incommunicado, citing possible flight risk and tampering with evidence, while the two architects were granted bail of NT$2 million (US$61,725) each.
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