Lawmakers grill minister over entertainers evading military service

Taipei, Oct. 22 (CNA) Lawmakers pressed Interior Minister Liu Shyh-fang (劉世芳) on Wednesday over a widening military service evasion case involving up to 120 people including actors and vocalists.

Liu told a meeting of the Legislative Yuan's Internal Administration Committee that prosecutors had identified "unscrupulous doctors" suspected of issuing fraudulent medical certificates.

She said the Ministry of the Interior (MOI) was working with the Ministry of Health and Welfare (MOHW) to transfer such cases for prosecution.

"The most important thing is to prevent fraud," lawmaker Huang Jie (黃捷) of the Democratic Progressive Party (DPP) said at the hearing.

"If people can spend NT$100,000 (US$3,253) to buy fake medical records," she said, "then people will think this is a loophole they can exploit."

Liu said if someone is confirmed to have evaded military service, he must complete this duty before the age of 36, while those older than 36 will be dealt with via other legal procedures.

Lawmaker Chang Chih-lun (張智倫) of the main opposition Kuomintang (KMT) said cross-party amendments to the Alternative Service Implementation Act will be introduced to impose "a minimum of six months and up to five years in prison" for intentionally avoiding alternative service.

He said persons who "attempt to avoid mobilization during wartime or national emergencies" face up to five years in prison.

Liu said past court rulings in military service evasion cases resulted in sentences of "less than six months."

Shen Che-fang (沈哲芳), head of the MOI's Department of Conscription Administration, said the exemption standard for body mass index (BMI) will be tightened so that "to qualify for exemption, BMI must reach 45."

He also said that deliberate weight gain to avoid service would be "basically impossible" and high blood pressure would no longer qualify for exemption unless it causes "actual heart or organ damage."

The lawmakers' discussion took place the day after the New Taipei District Prosecutors Office said it has launched a third wave of searches targeting people suspected of evading conscription.

On Tuesday, actors Hsiu Jie-kai (修杰楷), Chen Bolin (陳柏霖) and Chang Shu-wei (張書偉) were released on NT$500,000 bail each, while former boyband "Lollipop F" member Liao Yun-chieh (廖允杰), also known as Liljay (小杰), was freed on NT$350,000 bail.

● 4 Taiwanese entertainers released on bail for military service evasion

On Wednesday, Hsieh Kunda (謝坤達), 43, a member of boyband "Energy," was detained on arriving at Taoyuan International Airport and taken to the Yonghe Precinct Police Station in New Taipei for questioning, police and prosecutors said.

After being released on NT$500,000 bail, Hsieh said he had "let many people down" and vowed to "take responsibility and fully cooperate with the investigation."