Assets of Jailed Taiwan High-Rise Developers Frozen – 113 Bodies Recovered, 4 Missing

nsnbc : Search and Rescue teams have recovered the remains of 113 people from the ruin and rubble of the 17-story Weiguan Jinlong building the collapsed during an earthquake, Saturday, one week ago. At least 4 remain unaccounted for. Authorities have frozen the assets of the jailed building developer who has been charged with manslaughter after the discovery of cooking-oil cans and other inappropriate materials in lead-bearing elements of the building.

Taiwan_China_Golden Dragon High-rise collapse_Feb 2016The Tainan District Court approved prosecutors’ request to freeze the assets of property developer Lin Ming-hui and his two co-defendants Chang and Cheng. Prosecutors from the Tainan District Prosecutors’ Office, accompanied by Lin, searched Lin’s residence for documents regarding the collapsed high-rise in Tainan’s Yongkang District. Lin was the Chairman of the Weiguan Construction Co at the time the building was constructed.

Lin and architects Chang Kui-pao and Cheng Chin-kui  were detained on Tuesday night. The arrest came after search and rescue teams discovered cooking-oil cans and polystyrene foam embedded in load-bearing elements of the building including columns. Similar irregularities have been linked to the collapse of several other buildings during an earthquake in 1999, the year that the Weiguan Jinlong building was completed. The three have been held incommunicado since their arrest. The prosecution moved for holding the three isolated to avoid that the three can compromise evidence and testimony. Tainan District Court spokeswoman Kuo Chen-hsiu told the press:

“There is clear reason to be concerned that the accused will collude with each other and witnesses to the point that it will be difficult to resolve the case if they are not in custody”. 

 Lin Ming-hui, chairman of the now-defunct Weiguan Construction Co. Courtesy Taipei Times

Lin Ming-hui, chairman of the now-defunct Weiguan Construction Co. Courtesy Taipei Times

Kuo added that Lin and co-defendants Chang and Cheng had used messaging software and friends to contact each other after the complex’s collapse. The Court explained that the three will be held incommunicado to prevent the corruption of testimony. Kuo stressed that the statements that the three had given were mutually contradictory. Kuo also stressed that there also was conflicting testimony over whether the architect listed on the firm’s construction permit application had “lent” his license to another architect instead of personally supervising the construction. Kuo said:

“We have discovered that the Weiguan Jinlong building was not designed by the signatory architect, Chang Kui-pao who appears to have illegally lent his license to someone else to apply for the construction permit. In addition, blueprints of reinforcing rebars do not match structural calculations. Circular reinforcements for major pillars are less than half those listed in structural calculations, creating strong reason to believe the firm cut corners on materials”.

The Court has now approved the prosecutors’ request to freeze the assets of the three defendants, amounting to NT$30 million (US$894,988). The court described the seizing of these assets as a provisional measure to prevent the accused from liquidating their assets while the investigation is underway. The Court also stated that it has set a minimum guarantee of NT$500,000 for anyone wishing to file a lawsuit to freeze Lin’s assets. Taiwanese law stipulates that applications to freeze an individual’s assets require a deposit or “guarantee fee” ranging from one-tenth to one-third of the total amount of assets to be frozen.

The Tainan City Government, for its part, stressed that the initial freeze of NT$30 million was done on behalf of victims who lost their homes and those who suffered minor injuries in the collapse. The government noted that it made a preliminary estimate of NT$30 million for property losses as it is not yet possible to come up with the full amount.

Meanwhile, the bereft and others who have been affected by the collapse of the building are facing the reality that hopes to find the remaining four who still are unaccounted for alive are minimal and that families and loved ones have to say a last farewell to the 113 deceased who have been pulled out of the ruin and the rubble so far.

CH/L – nsnbc 13.02.2016

Source Article from http://nsnbc.me/2016/02/13/assets-of-jailed-taiwan-high-rise-developers-frozen-113-bodies-recovered-4-missing/

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Assets of Jailed Taiwan High-Rise Developers Frozen – 113 Bodies Recovered, 4 Missing

nsnbc : Search and Rescue teams have recovered the remains of 113 people from the ruin and rubble of the 17-story Weiguan Jinlong building the collapsed during an earthquake, Saturday, one week ago. At least 4 remain unaccounted for. Authorities have frozen the assets of the jailed building developer who has been charged with manslaughter after the discovery of cooking-oil cans and other inappropriate materials in lead-bearing elements of the building.

Taiwan_China_Golden Dragon High-rise collapse_Feb 2016The Tainan District Court approved prosecutors’ request to freeze the assets of property developer Lin Ming-hui and his two co-defendants Chang and Cheng. Prosecutors from the Tainan District Prosecutors’ Office, accompanied by Lin, searched Lin’s residence for documents regarding the collapsed high-rise in Tainan’s Yongkang District. Lin was the Chairman of the Weiguan Construction Co at the time the building was constructed.

Lin and architects Chang Kui-pao and Cheng Chin-kui  were detained on Tuesday night. The arrest came after search and rescue teams discovered cooking-oil cans and polystyrene foam embedded in load-bearing elements of the building including columns. Similar irregularities have been linked to the collapse of several other buildings during an earthquake in 1999, the year that the Weiguan Jinlong building was completed. The three have been held incommunicado since their arrest. The prosecution moved for holding the three isolated to avoid that the three can compromise evidence and testimony. Tainan District Court spokeswoman Kuo Chen-hsiu told the press:

“There is clear reason to be concerned that the accused will collude with each other and witnesses to the point that it will be difficult to resolve the case if they are not in custody”. 

 Lin Ming-hui, chairman of the now-defunct Weiguan Construction Co. Courtesy Taipei Times

Lin Ming-hui, chairman of the now-defunct Weiguan Construction Co. Courtesy Taipei Times

Kuo added that Lin and co-defendants Chang and Cheng had used messaging software and friends to contact each other after the complex’s collapse. The Court explained that the three will be held incommunicado to prevent the corruption of testimony. Kuo stressed that the statements that the three had given were mutually contradictory. Kuo also stressed that there also was conflicting testimony over whether the architect listed on the firm’s construction permit application had “lent” his license to another architect instead of personally supervising the construction. Kuo said:

“We have discovered that the Weiguan Jinlong building was not designed by the signatory architect, Chang Kui-pao who appears to have illegally lent his license to someone else to apply for the construction permit. In addition, blueprints of reinforcing rebars do not match structural calculations. Circular reinforcements for major pillars are less than half those listed in structural calculations, creating strong reason to believe the firm cut corners on materials”.

The Court has now approved the prosecutors’ request to freeze the assets of the three defendants, amounting to NT$30 million (US$894,988). The court described the seizing of these assets as a provisional measure to prevent the accused from liquidating their assets while the investigation is underway. The Court also stated that it has set a minimum guarantee of NT$500,000 for anyone wishing to file a lawsuit to freeze Lin’s assets. Taiwanese law stipulates that applications to freeze an individual’s assets require a deposit or “guarantee fee” ranging from one-tenth to one-third of the total amount of assets to be frozen.

The Tainan City Government, for its part, stressed that the initial freeze of NT$30 million was done on behalf of victims who lost their homes and those who suffered minor injuries in the collapse. The government noted that it made a preliminary estimate of NT$30 million for property losses as it is not yet possible to come up with the full amount.

Meanwhile, the bereft and others who have been affected by the collapse of the building are facing the reality that hopes to find the remaining four who still are unaccounted for alive are minimal and that families and loved ones have to say a last farewell to the 113 deceased who have been pulled out of the ruin and the rubble so far.

CH/L – nsnbc 13.02.2016

Source Article from http://nsnbc.me/2016/02/13/assets-of-jailed-taiwan-high-rise-developers-frozen-113-bodies-recovered-4-missing/

You can leave a response, or trackback from your own site.

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Assets of Jailed Taiwan High-Rise Developers Frozen – 113 Bodies Recovered, 4 Missing

nsnbc : Search and Rescue teams have recovered the remains of 113 people from the ruin and rubble of the 17-story Weiguan Jinlong building the collapsed during an earthquake, Saturday, one week ago. At least 4 remain unaccounted for. Authorities have frozen the assets of the jailed building developer who has been charged with manslaughter after the discovery of cooking-oil cans and other inappropriate materials in lead-bearing elements of the building.

Taiwan_China_Golden Dragon High-rise collapse_Feb 2016The Tainan District Court approved prosecutors’ request to freeze the assets of property developer Lin Ming-hui and his two co-defendants Chang and Cheng. Prosecutors from the Tainan District Prosecutors’ Office, accompanied by Lin, searched Lin’s residence for documents regarding the collapsed high-rise in Tainan’s Yongkang District. Lin was the Chairman of the Weiguan Construction Co at the time the building was constructed.

Lin and architects Chang Kui-pao and Cheng Chin-kui  were detained on Tuesday night. The arrest came after search and rescue teams discovered cooking-oil cans and polystyrene foam embedded in load-bearing elements of the building including columns. Similar irregularities have been linked to the collapse of several other buildings during an earthquake in 1999, the year that the Weiguan Jinlong building was completed. The three have been held incommunicado since their arrest. The prosecution moved for holding the three isolated to avoid that the three can compromise evidence and testimony. Tainan District Court spokeswoman Kuo Chen-hsiu told the press:

“There is clear reason to be concerned that the accused will collude with each other and witnesses to the point that it will be difficult to resolve the case if they are not in custody”. 

 Lin Ming-hui, chairman of the now-defunct Weiguan Construction Co. Courtesy Taipei Times

Lin Ming-hui, chairman of the now-defunct Weiguan Construction Co. Courtesy Taipei Times

Kuo added that Lin and co-defendants Chang and Cheng had used messaging software and friends to contact each other after the complex’s collapse. The Court explained that the three will be held incommunicado to prevent the corruption of testimony. Kuo stressed that the statements that the three had given were mutually contradictory. Kuo also stressed that there also was conflicting testimony over whether the architect listed on the firm’s construction permit application had “lent” his license to another architect instead of personally supervising the construction. Kuo said:

“We have discovered that the Weiguan Jinlong building was not designed by the signatory architect, Chang Kui-pao who appears to have illegally lent his license to someone else to apply for the construction permit. In addition, blueprints of reinforcing rebars do not match structural calculations. Circular reinforcements for major pillars are less than half those listed in structural calculations, creating strong reason to believe the firm cut corners on materials”.

The Court has now approved the prosecutors’ request to freeze the assets of the three defendants, amounting to NT$30 million (US$894,988). The court described the seizing of these assets as a provisional measure to prevent the accused from liquidating their assets while the investigation is underway. The Court also stated that it has set a minimum guarantee of NT$500,000 for anyone wishing to file a lawsuit to freeze Lin’s assets. Taiwanese law stipulates that applications to freeze an individual’s assets require a deposit or “guarantee fee” ranging from one-tenth to one-third of the total amount of assets to be frozen.

The Tainan City Government, for its part, stressed that the initial freeze of NT$30 million was done on behalf of victims who lost their homes and those who suffered minor injuries in the collapse. The government noted that it made a preliminary estimate of NT$30 million for property losses as it is not yet possible to come up with the full amount.

Meanwhile, the bereft and others who have been affected by the collapse of the building are facing the reality that hopes to find the remaining four who still are unaccounted for alive are minimal and that families and loved ones have to say a last farewell to the 113 deceased who have been pulled out of the ruin and the rubble so far.

CH/L – nsnbc 13.02.2016

Source Article from http://nsnbc.me/2016/02/13/assets-of-jailed-taiwan-high-rise-developers-frozen-113-bodies-recovered-4-missing/

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