New Taipei City prosecutors yesterday detained the chairman of a cosmetic surgery chain after a pinhole camera was allegedly discovered in a smoke detector at its Banciao District (板橋) branch.
The New Taipei City Prosecutors’ Office yesterday instructed police to search multiple branches of Airlee Group Co Ltd in the city, including Banciao, Xinzhuang District (新莊區), Linkou District (林口) and Yonghe District (永和), and detained chairman Chang Ju-shan (常如 山) in an office building in Taipei for questioning.
The raids followed a May 2 post on Threads in which a customer said she spotted a device on the ceiling that resembled a smoke detector as she was changing clothes in a private treatment room during a body contouring appointment at Airlee’s Banciao branch.
Photo: CNA
The smoke detector appeared to conceal a recording device, and although clinic staff insisted it was just a smoke detector, she reported the matter to the police, the woman said.
When the woman returned with police officers, they opened the smoke detector and found a recording device connected to a power source, she said.
Whether the camera was operating could not be verified, she said.
New Taipei City prosecutors raided other branches in New Taipei City on Sunday last week and detained a surveillance equipment supplier surnamed Hsieh (謝), who was released after questioning.
Prosecutors said that they are investigating the case for suspected violations of sexual privacy and personal privacy.
On Tuesday, Taipei Department of Health officials, consumer ombudsmen and police also conducted unannounced joint inspections of four Airlee branches in the city and reportedly found no recording devices or contraventions at those locations.
In a statement on Tuesday, Airlee said that all surveillance systems are intended to guarantee the quality of medical services and facility safety.
The group said it does not infringe on customer privacy and would cooperate fully with the investigation.
Under the Medical Care Act (醫療法), medical institutions and their staff cannot disclose patient information related to illnesses or health conditions without cause, Liu Yu-ching (劉玉菁), deputy head of Ministry of Health and Welfare’s Department of Medical Affairs, told a news briefing in Taipei yesterday.
In addition, medical providers must obtain patient consent before making any audio or video recordings, Liu said.
Contraventions can result in fines ranging from NT$50,000 to NT$250,000, she added.
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