Taiwan’s military is preparing to penalize more people in conjunction with an unauthorized visit to a military base.
The case in question involves an army officer who brought local celebrity Janet Lee and her family to an army helicopter base last Sunday. The unauthorized visit came to light after Lee posted photos she took of the cockpit of an Apache attack helicopter on social media.
The army officer at the center of the case is Lieutenant Colonel Lao Nai-cheng, the deputy head of a helicopter squadron. Without the approval of his superiors, Lao brought the group of 20 civilians inside a hangar housing the Apache AH-64E.
The military has already given Lao a major demerit and removed him from his post. Four other officers have also been punished in the case.
Prosecutors on Sunday searched 15 places including a helicopter squadron in Taoyuan and the houses of civilians who were taken to visit the choppers. They also questioned 11 people in conjunction with the case. The military is likely to release an additional list of people who will be punished, including supervisors and guards, by April 9. That’s when the military is set to report on the case before the legislative committee on foreign relations and the military.