Two hospitals owned by two Democratic Progressive Party (DPP) lawmakers were suspected of colluding with a family to evade health insurance payments from the National Health Insurance Bureau, prompting the DPP to say that they would mete out the most severe punishment if the allegation proved to be true.
"I am also calling on the public to respect the judicial investigation into the matter and assume that people are innocent until they are proven guilty," said DPP caucus whip William Lai (
Lai said that his caucus' stance on the matter is clear and that is they acknowledge the prosecutors' effort to probe the case and would like to see the truth come out as soon as possible.
Lai was referring to the investigations into Wen Tsong-ming (
Tainan Prosecutor's Office speculated that Wen and his family might have bought insurance policies from insurance companies and then colluded with five hospitals in Tainan and Kaohsiung to issue fake hospitalization documents in order to fraudulently claim health insurance payments.
Among the hospitals are the Lin Jin-hsing Hospital in Kaohsiung City, owned by DPP Legislator Peter Lin (
Prosecutors on Wednesday conducted a search at the hospitals and brought back patient records of Wen and his family members.
Lin yesterday denied that he is involved in the fraud, claiming that he himself is also a victim.
"The management of the hospital is tough and patients are admitted to the hospital only when it is necessary," he said. "I must be terribly unlucky to have those people coming to my hospital." He also dismissed the speculation that Wen or any of his family members has ever served as his assistant at his legislative office.
Chiu yesterday said that he is willing to resign from his position as the legislator-at-large if he is found to have played a part in the scheme.
"I'm also a victim if there have been any patients admitted to my hospital for the purpose of duping insurance payments," he said in a press statement released yesterday afternoon.
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