New Taipei Fire Department employee, supplier detained in procurement corruption case

A New Taipei City Fire Department employee and a representative from a company have been detained and placed under judicial investigation following allegations of corruption in procurement deals. The case centers on suspicions that bidding documents were leaked to favor specific companies in contracts for fire trucks and other equipment.

An official, identified as Chen Yen-chang, is suspected of having over a million New Taiwan dollars in unexplained assets. The investigation, led by prosecutors, also involves allegations of improper acceptance of goods. Authorities searched multiple locations, including the offices and residences of former and current fire department officials.

Prosecutors have charged Chen Yen-chang and Lin Wang-sen, head of the "Li Chung Firefighting" company, with offenses including bribery, illicit enrichment, falsifying official documents, leaking secrets, and fraud. Both were detained due to fears of flight and tampering with evidence.

In addition to the alleged favoritism in bidding, the investigation is also examining a separate incident from May. At that time, a legislator questioned the purchase of "fire clothing drying units" for NT$10,000 each, only for front-line units to reportedly receive industrial fans costing less than NT$1,000. The New Taipei City Fire Department stated it is cooperating with the judicial investigation and will not tolerate any illegal activities by its staff.