A commander at the political warfare college will be severely disciplined and may have to step down after a trainee at the college was arrested by police for drug offences, defense officials said.
The trainee, a captain identified only by his surname, Li, was discovered to have 58 ecstasy tablets and an unidentified amount of amphetamines stored in three bottles when he was subjected to a search by police at a pub on Hankou Road, Taipei City, on March 17, officials said.
The bust was the largest in recent years involving a member of the political warfare system, which is responsible for maintaining discipline and security in the armed forces.
A similar arrest was made earlier this year. In February, police discovered drugs on a political warfare captain serving at an air force base in Taoyuan as he walked out of a Taipei pub.
The series of incidents involving officers in the political warfare system enraged military leaders, who demanded an immediate solution, defense officials said.
One of the solutions proposed by military leaders is to make an example of Lieutenant-General Chang Li-feng (
Although trainee Li had already graduated from the college, Chang is being held responsible for Li's behavior since the trainee was participating in a program offered by the college for promotion to higher ranks.
Though political warfare leaders agree that Chang should be held responsible for the incident, they are at odds over whether to make him step down or simply have him receive administrative discipline, defense officials said.
Several lieutenant-generals in the political warfare system have been consulted over their wish to take over Chang's position, but none of them has said yes, officials said.
Lieutenant-General Kuo Nien-kun (郭年昆), political warfare chief of the reserve command, is on the shortlist of candidates being considered as Chang's replacement. Kuo is said to have refused the offer for reasons unknown.
Given Kuo's reluctance, military leaders will probably only give Chang a severe administrative disciplining in response to the drug scandal.
Chang took over as commander of the political warfare college at the end of 2000. He was one of the first political warfare generals to be reshuffled after Chen Shui-bian (陳水扁) was elected president that year.
Chang's term as director of the college has been turbulent from the beginning.
Shortly after he assumed the post, his division saw the breakout of a multi-million-dollar scam involving dozens of college officials and employees.
The scam, first kept under wraps, was the result of a college employee failing to pay back money owed to dozens of colleagues. Colleagues contributed to a self-help fund managed by the employee.
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