Taiwanese actor Hsiu Chieh-kai, 42, was among several celebrities taken into custody for questioning on Tuesday (21 Oct) as part of an ongoing probe into a draft-dodging syndicate accused of helping individuals evade Taiwan’s compulsory military service.
Source: United Daily News
According to reports, this is the third wave of arrests following earlier operations in February and May, which saw actors such as Darren Wang, Nine Chen, William Liao, and Daniel Chen taken in for questioning.
The latest arrests stemmed from evidence discovered during Wang’s court proceedings, when investigators examined the phone of the syndicate’s alleged ringleader Chen Chih-ming.
In his chat records, Chen allegedly boasted of helping multiple artistes evade enlistment by fabricating medical documents.
Prosecutors subsequently ordered the detention of the named individuals for further questioning.
Hsiu, known in Singapore for his role as Zhang Jin He in the Mediacorp drama ‘Emerald Hill’, reportedly paid NT$150,000 (about S$6,300) to the syndicate to forge medical records showing he suffered from hypertension, hoping to be declared unfit for military service.
Hsiu (right) with ‘Emerald Hill’ co-star Elvin Ng
Source: @elvinngchoonsiong on Instagram
However, the falsified condition was deemed not severe enough for full exemption, and Hsiu was instead assigned to alternative civilian service.
He enlisted on 12 May 2016 and was posted to the New Taipei City Civil Affairs Bureau.
After serving five months, he applied for early discharge as his wife, actress Alyssa Chia, was more than six months pregnant with their second child and they already had one under the age of 12.
The Ministry of the Interior approved his request under existing regulations for alternative service personnel.
Source: @alyssachia on Instagram
Chia, who is currently filming in Xiamen, said through her management agency that investigators entered their home early in the morning to take Hsiu into custody, frightening their daughters.
She added that while cooperating with investigations is everyone’s duty, she was deeply shocked and worried by the sudden incident.
Alongside Hsiu, Golden Bell Award-winning actor Chen Bo-lin, 42, and former Lollipop F member Liljay, 39, were also taken into custody early on Tuesday as part of the same investigation.
Following a hearing, prosecutors released Chen on NT$500,000 (S$21,000) bail and Liljay on NT$350,000 (S$14,800) bail.
Leaving the prosecutor’s office, Chen expressed remorse for his actions, thanking the prosecutors and police for giving him the chance to confront what he described as the careless and ridiculous choices he made in his youth.
He added that he would respect the law and cooperate fully with the ongoing investigation.
Source: United Daily News
Liljay, who allegedly paid NT$300,000 (around S$12,700) to falsify medical records in an attempt to evade service, also apologised publicly, saying he had made mistakes when he was young and regretted wasting public resources.
He maintained that he suffers from a hereditary medical condition and would cooperate with investigators.
His management agency said in a brief statement that they are cooperating with judicial authorities and seeking to understand the situation.
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Featured image adapted from TVBS via Mirror Media and United Daily News.