Joint working group investigates military 'promotion-buying'

Special Counsel prosecutors and Judge Advocate General personnel form the group that will investigate whether former President Chen Shui-bian may be involved in selling promotion to generals and admirals.

President Chen made altogether 18 officers into full generals and admirals during his eight-year term, which ended on May 20 last year. Of them 16 were promoted while Admiral Lee served as defense minister.

Lee may be summoned by the joint working group for questioning, the United Evening News reported yesterday. “Not Admiral Lee alone could make that many top brass hats,” the afternoon paper said.

As a matter of fact, full generals and admirals have to be appointed by the president. Chen Yun-nan, who did not attend the inaugural meeting of the working group, said in a statement Admiral Lee won't be subpoenaed.

“At the meeting,” the statement said, “opinions were exchanged over how to go about the investigation and some consensus was reached.”

Similar meetings will take place in the future, the statement said. It denied Admiral Lee will be questioned.

“There's no such thing (as subpoenaing Lee),” the Special Counsel spokesman said. Chen Tsung-ming, procurator-general who commands the Special Counsel, did not take part in the inaugural meeting, either.

Along with his wife, President Chen is now standing trial for corruption, graft, and money laundering.

The scandal came to light after Lt. Gen. Yuan Hsiao-lung, a former deputy commanding general of the Army Reserve Command, was indicted for bribery to buy promotion to full general on April 6.

Taipei district prosecutors charged Yuan with giving NT$500,000 to a well-placed Ministry of National Defense broker to get a letter of recommendation for promotion in order to stay in active service.

A lieutenant general has to retire at the age of 59. Yuan wanted to replace Yu Lien-fa, President Chen's confidant, as commanding general of the Army Reserve Command. The bribery did not work.

Prosecutors demanded 22 years in prison for Yuan, if he is convicted. Initial investigations reveal a colonel or captain had to pay NT$2 million to be promoted to major general or rear admiral. A major general or rear admiral paid NT$3 million to get an additional star. The price a lieutenant general or vice admiral had to pay for promotion to full general or admiral was NT$5 million.

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