New Taipei firefighters indicted over bribes, leaks to funeral firms

Taipei, Dec. 18 (CNA) Prosecutors have indicted 10 firefighters in New Taipei City and four people from three funeral service companies for allegedly colluding to leak emergency medical and death case information in exchange for bribes totaling nearly NT$1.28 million (US$40,586).

The New Taipei District Prosecutors Office said Thursday the 14 individuals were charged with violating the Anti-Corruption Act and other criminal statutes related to breaches of confidentiality.

The cases involved three funeral service companies that allegedly paid firefighters to tip them off about emergency medical calls and deaths, allowing the firms to reach scenes ahead of competitors and secure business.

In the first case, a man called surnamed (林), head of Wan Rui Funeral Services, became acquainted through a friend with a firefighter surnamed Chen (陳) from the Taishan unit of the Fire Department's Second Brigade.

Between September 2021 and April 2022, Chen allegedly leaked information obtained while on duty in return for payment.

Chen later introduced a firefighter surnamed Chang (張) from the Xinzhuang unit to Wan Rui, who in turn brought in other members of the Second Brigade, expanding the scheme, according to prosecutors.

In Taiwan, ambulance services for life-threatening emergencies and serious injuries are handled by local fire department stations, with firefighters serving as front-line medical responders in addition to their firefighting duties.

In a separate case, Ren Xiang Funeral Services allegedly set up a LINE chat group called "Ding Ding Dang," to which Chen sent alerts about emergency medical and death cases. Firefighters from multiple units later joined the group through referrals and received payments for leaking information.

From 2022 to 2024, firefighters collectively received about NT$415,000 from Ren Xiang, prosecutors said.

A third case involved Ju Yang International Humanistic Co. Prosecutors said a man surnamed Shen (沈), the company's head, was introduced by his father, a ward chief, to a firefighter surnamed Tsai (蔡) working at the Fire Department's dispatch and command center.

The two allegedly agreed that Tsai would send locations of patients without a pulse via messaging apps or Google Forms, earning NT$5,000 to NT$10,000 per case. Between July 2022 and 2024, Tsai allegedly received NT$695,000.

Prosecutors concluded the investigation on Dec. 16, putting the total bribes received by the 10 firefighters at NT$1.279 million.

Several firefighters admitted wrongdoing during the investigation and voluntarily returned illicit gains, prompting prosecutors to recommend reduced sentences.

The three funeral service companies and four individuals were also indicted under the Anti-Corruption Act.