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Defense Ministry apologizes for mishandling of rape-murder case

ROC Central News Agency

2011/01/30 21:48:01

Taipei, Jan. 30 (CNA) The Ministry of National Defense (MND) issued an apology Sunday for causing "concern and turbulence in society" because of its handling of a rape-murder case in which a soldier was executed in possible miscarriage of justice more than 10 years ago.

The ministry vowed to cooperate fully in an ongoing investigation into whether air force private Chiang Kuo-ching had been wrongfully executed in 1997 and whether another soldier, Hsu Jung-chou, was the perpetrator in the rape and murder of a 5-year-old girl in September 1996.

In a statement, the ministry said the Military Supreme Court Prosecutors Office filed an extraordinary appeal with the Supreme Court on May 20, 2010 to reopen the case.

A special investigation team was assembled by the Supreme Prosecutors Office in June 2010 to reopen the investigation into the girl's rape and murder and the alleged torture of Chiang. the MND noted.

Hsu is now under investigation for his suspected involvement in the girl's murder. If he is found guilty, the MND will seek criminal punishment as well as administrative penalties for all those who were responsible for botching the case, and will help Chiang's family seek compensation, the MND said.

The MND said an air force investigative team had in fact listed Hsu as a suspect at the time of the murder, sending his fingerprints, palm print and blood samples to the Bureau of Investigation for further checks, but the evidence was not admitted and Hsu was removed from the list of suspects.

As to the allegations of obtaining a confession from Chiang through the use of torture, the MND said all those suspected of involvement -- no matter how senior their rank -- will be questioned.

If they are found guilty, their citations for "cracking" the case will be revoked, said the MND.

The new probe is being conducted jointly by the Special Investigation Division under the Supreme Prosecutors Office, the Taichung and Taipei District prosecutors offices, and the Military Supreme Court Prosecutors Office.

The MND and prosecutors said that there were 15 people in the air force anti-espionage unit who were involved in obtaining the confession from Chiang. Four of them, including then Colonel Ko Chung-ching who had questioned Chiang for 37 straight hours, will be the main targets of the probe, the MND said.

At the time, 24 officers, including Chen Chao-min, then air force combat command's chief commander who later became minister of national defense, and Lee Tien-yu, then director of the Air Force's Political Warfare Department and defense minister later, who received citations for cracking the case, will now be investigated. (By Emannuelle Tseng and S.C. Chang) enditem /pc