TAIPEI, Taiwan, July 17 (UPI) -- Taipei District Court judges granted a request by prosecutors to detain the director of the Department of Students' Military Training on corruption charges.
Sung Wen was accused of soliciting and taking bribes from subordinates, the Taipei Times reported Saturday. He is head of the country's 4,600 military instructors who are based at high school, university and college campuses, and has the power to promote and demote them.
"The prosecutors' investigation showed that Sung tried to exchange information with other people who are involved in the case, so judges decided to detain him before the investigation is completed," said Huang Jiunn-ming, spokesman of the Taipei District Court.
The scandal surfaced when two military instructors reported to the Bureau of Investigation that Sung had abused his power by demanding money in exchange for promotions.
Based on the Statute for Punishment of Corruption, an officer who takes bribes and is convicted of corruption charges will be sentenced to at least seven years in prison.
