Zhunan Police Officer Sentenced to 6 Years for Covering Up Gang Shooting, Allowing Scapegoat

(CNA, by reporter Kuan Jui-ping, Miaoli County, 20th) Chang Teng-hui, a squad leader of the investigation team at the Miaoli County Police Bureau's Zhunan Precinct, was sentenced to a 6-year prison term in the first instance for covering up for a gang by letting a minor surnamed Wang take the fall for possessing a standard-issue pistol during the investigation of a shooting case. The verdict is appealable. The Miaoli District Court released its verdict today, stating that in September 2022, a gang-related revenge shooting occurred within the Zhunan Precinct's jurisdiction. Chang Teng-hui, then a squad leader, despite knowing that the minor surnamed Wang was taking the blame for someone else, made an agreement with the leader of the involved gang. The deal was to only take one standard-issue pistol, the minor Wang, and the getaway car driver surnamed Yin, and not to pursue the actual person who illegally possessed the firearm and fired the shots. The verdict mentioned that to create the illusion of a police seizure of a weapon and an arrest, Chang later took the minor Wang and Yin to the Shibajianshan parking lot in Hsinchu City. He threw the standard-issue pistol into the getaway car and directed another squad leader, Tseng Yu-lin, and a detective surnamed Cheng to record a false search and seizure video, thereby fabricating criminal evidence and transferring the minor Wang to juvenile court. The minor Wang recanted his story and told the truth during the juvenile court investigation. The prosecutor then concluded that Chang was suspected of covering up firearm possession. It was also discovered that in January 2024, Chang used his son's name to purchase a Porsche from a used car dealership for NT$2.73 million, of which NT$1.13 million in cash was from a suspicious source and was inconsistent with his income. Although Chang explained the cash came from over NT$900,000 he kept on hand and about NT$400,000 from his brother's funeral offering, the judge did not accept his explanation. After the case came to light, Chang was suspended from duty, and Tseng Yu-lin has since retired. The collegiate panel considered that Chang, as a squad leader, was supposed to uphold integrity and fight crime impartially. However, he covered up for the real perpetrators by "arranging a person" and "arranging a gun." Furthermore, he acquired NT$1.13 million in unexplained assets after the incident and gave a false explanation. He was sentenced to 6 years for covering up the illegal possession of a standard-issue pistol by a public official and 1 year for having assets of unknown origin, with a concurrent fine of NT$100,000. The NT$1.13 million was declared forfeited as criminal proceeds. As for Tseng Yu-lin, he was sentenced to 1 year and 6 months for the joint offense of causing a public official to make a false entry in an official document. Considering he was not in a leading role, admitted to the crime, and showed remorse, he was given a 5-year suspended sentence and ordered to pay NT$500,000 to the public treasury. The entire case can still be appealed. (Editor: Lee Heng-shan) 1150520