5 Taiwanese entertainers indicted for evading military service

New Taipei, Nov. 14 (CNA) New Taipei prosecutors on Friday indicted 12 people, including five entertainers, who allegedly paid for falsified medical reports to evade compulsory military service.

The five entertainers included actors Hsiu Jie-kai (修杰楷), Chen Bolin (陳柏霖) and Chang Shu-wei (張書偉), former boyband "Lollipop F" member Liao Yun-chieh (廖允杰), and boyband "Energy" member Hsieh Kunda (謝坤達), according to the indictment.

This marked the second round of charges after 28 individuals were indicted in June for similar offenses, including actor Darren Wang (王大陸) and alleged ringleader Chen Chih-ming (陳志明), following earlier probes in February and May.

Prosecutors said the suspects paid Chen to arrange falsified high blood pressure reports, allowing them to avoid conscription.

New Taipei police questioned the five entertainers in late October as part of the latest investigation, with all five later released on bail.

In Taiwan, all eligible male citizens must perform compulsory military service in accordance with the Act of Military Service System.

According to the Punishment Act for Violation of Military Service System, evading conscription is punishable by up to five years in prison.