Taiwan Military Police Colonel Removed Pending Abuse Investigation

A senior officer in the Taipei Military Police unit responsible for guarding the Boai Special District has been removed from his post pending an investigation into alleged mistreatment of personnel and concealment of incidents, the Military Police Command said.

Local media identified the officer as Colonel Tsai Cheng-chien. A joint complaint filed with the Presidential Office and Ministry of National Defense accused Tsai of repeatedly using profanity and insulting personnel during gatherings, harming morale.

The complaint also alleged that Tsai failed to report personnel going absent without leave or nearly harming themselves after he berated them during Han Kuang exercises in October last year and August this year. It further claimed that two injured service members were not transported to hospital by ambulance because Tsai wanted to prevent the incidents from being officially recorded and reported to superiors. One corporal suffered a bone fracture in a fall during a May base test, while a sergeant first class was seriously injured after punching glass following a reprimand, according to the complaint.

The command said the allegations indicated possible mismanagement and poor leadership. It has arranged medical assistance and psychological counseling for affected personnel and pledged a swift investigation. If misconduct is substantiated, those responsible could face administrative, criminal and disciplinary action, it said.