Two police officers from the Chungshan Precinct and three nightclub owners were released on bail yesterday after being interviewed by Taipei prosecutors over suspected corruption to obstruct a police crackdown on Ecstasy use.
Investigators believe the two officers had tipped off the three owners of Face nightclub, on Linsen North Road, about police raids in search of the party drug.
"We believe that the two police officers and three club owners were working together to keep the club alive despite the strict crackdown by the police," said an investigator who wished to remain anonymous.
PHOTO: LIU HSIN-TE, TAIPEI TIMES
"Since the club was located in the Chungshan Precinct's district and the two officers happened to work at the precinct, we believe that the two officers told the three owners the exact times of police raids so the club had time to prepare," the investigator said.
The investigation into the alleged bribery began on Tuesday night, when a team led Taipei District Prosecutors' Office Senior Pro-secutor Hsin Tai-chao (邢泰釗) started questioning 11 people suspected of collaborating to evade a crackdown on Ecstasy ordered two months ago by the National Police Administration.
Six police officers from the Chungshan precinct were released without charge yesterday morning.
Two others, Hsiao Chi-keng (
The three nightclub owners, Wu Shui-chan (
Hsiao Feng-shou is a former police officer from the Ta-an Precinct.
The five men were barred from leaving Taiwan and told to immediately report to the prosecutors' office if summoned.
Investigators have discovered that Hsiao Chi-keng and Hung Juei-hung had invested NT$5 million in the nightclub. They believe the payoffs began last October and continued until the club closed down last month.
"We raided this club 24 times after it opened last October. We found four people in possession of Ecstasy at the scene but no drug dealers at the club during our raids," said Hsueh Wen-jung (
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