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【Text/Observer.com Bobcat】

According to Taiwan media reports yesterday, Taiwan's "Disciplinary Court" (responsible for hearing cases involving public officials) made a ruling on the same day on a "gun loss case" at the Taiwan "Marine Corps" training center during the previous "education call" (abbreviated as "teaching call"), sentencing the then-commanding colonel Pan Dongsheng and the then-battalion commander Lin Jiawei to "suspension" (a type of punishment for public officials of the Taiwan authorities, i.e., resignation from their current positions, suspension of salaries, and prohibition from applying for retirement, resignation or serving in other public institutions during the period, usually six months to three years), each for a period of six months.

According to Taiwan media reports on this matter in recent years, this "gun loss case" occurred two years ago. In March 2022, the Taiwan "Marine Corps" recruit training center planned to carry out the first batch of new "education call-up" tasks of the year at the "Goujian Camp" in Kaohsiung. During the preparation stage of the training mission in February, a batch of firearms were temporarily deposited in the joint armory in the nearby "Ziyi Camp" for safekeeping, including two "45 pistols" (that is, American-madeM1911Pistol or the T51 pistol imitated on the island, collectively referred to as the "45 pistol" because of its caliber of 0.45 inches).

On February 24, the Taiwan Navy Training and Training Department planned to go to the camp to inspect the preparations for the "training call", so the on-duty company commander Xu Jingtang asked Li Wenzhai to send two subordinates, Lu Guoxuan and Zheng Xiangsheng, to the "Ziyi Camp" to collect weapons. Zheng Xiangsheng was then instructed to deliver a pistol to another "training call" site, so that the "General Management Section Chief" Ji Guolong and the ammunition officer Zhao Qizhang could test whether the gun and the holster matched. However, during this process, the gun was lost in Zheng Xiangsheng's hands, but perhaps because of fear of responsibility, no one reported the loss of the weapon at the time.

On March 4, a sergeant named Wu Renxuan found a pistol missing when he was counting weapons, and he immediately informed the then-on-duty company commander Chen Youxuan, who immediately informed Lin Jiawei, then-Lieutenant Colonel and Commander of the Second Battalion of the New Training Center. After learning about it, Lin immediately launched a large-scale search throughout the camp, but did not find it. Afterwards, he did not continue to follow the relevant regulations of the Taiwan Defense Department and report to his superiors within 30 minutes of learning the news. Pan Dongsheng, the colonel commander of the center, did not learn about the incident until March 20, but he did not report it to his superiors either, and also chose to conceal it.

Since it was too obvious that a gun was missing from the gun cabinet, Lin Jiawei called four company commanders, Li Wenzhai, Chen Youxuan, Zheng Nianhong and Xu Jingtang, to discuss how to deal with it in the office between March 23 and 24. The five of them finally decided to pool their money together to go to the "Real CS" (called "Survival Game" on the island) toy store, buy four simulated air guns, and choose the one with the most similar appearance to use as a fake. Afterwards, Li Wenzhai went to the hardware store to buy an electric angle grinder, grind off the original inscription on the fake gun sleeve, and re-engraved the lost pistol's serial number "№399880". On March 29, taking advantage of the special inventory of firearms and ammunition for the special project mission, company commander Chen put the processed fake gun back into the gun cabinet in an attempt to "pass off fake guns as real ones". However, during the equipment inspection at the training center not long after, the fake guns were found to be in abnormal motion, and the "switch" of the fake guns was discovered on the spot.

In August last year, after the investigation of the case was concluded, the Pingtung District Procuratorate in Taiwan accused Pan Dongsheng, Lin Jiawei and Zheng Nianhong of suspected violations of relevant criminal regulations of the Taiwan military, and additionally accused Lin Jiawei and five others, Li Wenzhai, Chen Youxuan, Zheng Nianhong and Xu Jingtang, of the crime of "forgery of documents". A total of seven people were prosecuted. In addition, two "counselors" named Li and Su, ammunition officer Zhao Qizhang, logistics officer Lin and armorer Chen failed to register the shortage of guns as required, and were also suspected of the crime of "forgery of documents". However, because Lin Jiawei and other superiors concealed the truth, their subordinates at all levels were forced to cooperate, and the prosecution was suspended.

Therefore, in addition to yesterday's job verdict, Pan and Lin also received related criminal verdicts earlier this year. Among them, Lin Jiawei was convicted of "failure to report" in late February this year and sentenced to 1 year and 4 months in prison, suspended for 2 years, and fined NT$90,000; Pan Dongsheng was also convicted of "failure to report" on the 16th of this month and sentenced to 3 months in prison (offset by paying NT$90,000 in the form of a "fine"), suspended for 2 years, and fined NT$130,000.

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