Authorities are investigating up to 120 people suspected of dodging their military service amid a widening probe into celebrities who allegedly evaded service by forging medical documents, the Ministry of the Interior said yesterday.
The latest wave of investigations would target those not yet named by police, but are believed to have faked blood pressure reports to fully or partially exempt themselves from service, the ministry said.
On Monday, New Taipei City police summoned at least four entertainers for questioning over allegations of evading compulsory military service. They are actors Hsiu Chieh-kai (修杰楷) and Chen Bo-lin (陳柏霖), boyband Energy member Chang Shu-wei (張書偉) and former boyband Lollipop member Leow Jun-jie (廖俊傑).
Photo: Chen Yi-chuan, Taipei Times
The case is linked to an ongoing investigation connected to actor Darren Wang (王大陸), who was indicted alongside 27 others in June for similar offenses.
Hsiu, 42, yesterday admitted to paying NT$150,000 for forged medical documents and was released on NT$500,000 bail.
Chen, 42, who was released on NT$500,000 bail, admitted to paying NT$100,000.
After being released, the Golden Bell Award winner for Best Actor in 2012 said he was grateful to prosecutors and police for giving him the chance to face what he called a “absurd choice” he made in his youth.
Chang, 44, admitted to paying NT$150,000 and was released on NT$500,000 bail.
Leow, 39, admitted to paying NT$300,000 and was released on NT$350,000 bail.
Police said all four paid a suspect surnamed Chen (陳) to arrange falsified high blood pressure reports.
Police also detained three civilians — surnamed Liu (劉), Lee (李) and Yuan (袁) — for questioning.
Police said Hsieh Kunda (謝坤達), another member of Energy, did not appear for questioning as he is working overseas in Canada.
In a statement issued through his management company, Hsieh apologized to the public and fans, and said he had “mistakenly” applied for a military exemption 15 years ago.
He said he canceled his overseas work after learning of the investigation and has contacted police to arrange an early return to Taiwan.
Officials have uncovered evidence that up to 120 military-aged men might have evaded compulsory military service this year, the ministry said, adding that 16 district prosecutors’ offices are investigating the cases.
Evading mandatory military service is an offense punishable by imprisonment of up to five years under the Punishment Act for Violation of the Military Service System (妨害兵役治罪條例), it said.
Forgery of medical documents is a separate crime under the Criminal Code, the ministry added.
The ministry’s probe stemmed from an annual review of suspected draft dodging in which investigators discovered an overlap between their cases and ongoing proceedings initiated by New Taipei City prosecutors, it said.
Separately, officials yesterday requested household registration authorities to revoke the service-exempt status of people currently under investigation for evading military service, it said.
Military-aged men, medical professionals or other members of the public engaged in attempts to avoid the draft would be prosecuted to the full extent of the law, it said.
Minister of National Defense Wellington Koo (顧立雄) told reporters on the sidelines of a meeting at the legislature that defense officials are reviewing physical examination protocols in collaboration with Tri-Service General Hospital to thwart draft dodgers.
The alleged offenders appeared to have taken advantage of older physical exam procedures that have since been replaced, he said.
The military revised the protocols after discovering a suspicious number of men showing blood pressure levels that made them unfit for service, Koo said.
The current methods require men undergoing the examinations to stay in hospital for 24 hours, he added.
This is to prevent the examinees from engaging the services of someone else with a disqualifying medical condition to take their tests for them, Koo said.
The Ministry of National Defense is planning to promulgate testing protocols in April next year, if not sooner, he said.
Additional reporting by Lu Yun-feng, Hsu Sheng-lun and Hsieh Chun-lin
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