5 defendants in Xinsheng probe named

Prosecutors said they were looking into reports that certain officials and contractors inflated prices for road-improvement projects and flowers to decorate the elevated expressway.

Prosecutors and investigators launched a search of 27 sites starting in the morning, including the residences and offices of five senior city government officials and those of several construction firms to gather evidence related to allegations that they jacked up the costs for projects to improve the expressway and ramps as well as to dismantle a bridge on Zhongshan North Road spanning over the Keelung River.

Agents from the Ministry of Justice's Investigation Bureau (MJIB) led by four prosecutors from the Taipei District Prosecutors Office, conducted the sweeping search simultaneously.

All the officials targeted in the probe were former or incumbent officials of the New Construction Office under the city government's Public Works Department.

Also searched were the residences and offices of executives of several construction companies, including Joint Engineering Consultants (JEC).

They and 13 witnesses were interviewed successively by investigators and prosecutors.

Five were named by the prosecutors as defendants in late afternoon.

They included Lin Ching-fan, the incumbent deputy chief of the office; Huang Hsi-hsun, former chief; Chang Li-yen, former chief engineer; and Chen Chih-sheng, a former division director.

Lee Wei, an employee at JEC, was the only defendant named in the private sector so far.

Officials at the New Construction Office approved rather high prices quoted by interested companies after failing to find contractors in the wake of holding six public bidding sessions, said prosecutors.

The prosecutors said they will find out if the officials had taken actions to benefit certain firms.

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