By C1 Staff
TAIPEI – The warden of the Taiwan prison where six inmates took hostages earlier this month has been reprimanded and removed from his position on Thursday.
Focus Taiwan reports that Chen Shih-chih, along with the prison’s deputy warden Lai Chen-jung, and head guard Wang Shih-tsang, who were all held hostage by the inmates, were given a serious demerit. The chief of Taiwan’s Agency of Corrections, Wu Hsien-chang, was also punished with a demerit.
The crisis began on Feb. 11 when six inmates in the Kaoshiung Prison overtook guards and broke into the prison’s weapon cache, stealing four rifles and two handguns which they used to hold officers hostage in an escape attempt.
Chen and Lai offered themselves as hostages to swap with the officers in ensuing negotiations with prisoners.
The crisis ended early the next day when the prisoners committed suicide after police surrounded the compound and refused the inmate’s demands for a getaway car and to be allowed to see their families.
Though Chen and Lai were at first lauded for their heroic acts during the crisis, the Ministry of Justice said that the prison’s security lapse and the mishandling of the case by Chen and WU combined allowed what had not been an uncontrollable case to develop into a serious crisis that could have led to disaster.
It’s unclear if Chen and Wu will face possible legal responsibility in the case. An investigation is ongoing.