Focus Taiwan
Date: 2016/04/07
By: Yang Ssu-jui and S.C. Chang

Taipei, April 7 (CNA) Prosecutors indicted five private builders of a housing

(CNA file photo)

complex in Tainan Thursday on charges of “genocide through professional negligence” after 115 residents of their jerry-built houses died in a magnitude 6.3 earthquake on Feb. 6.

Family members of the victims from the collapsed building complained that the maximum punishment for such a fatal crime would be just 5 years behind bars, with one saying she could not forgive the unconscionable builders and irresponsible officials — none of whom were charged — and hoped they would be jailed for the rest of their lives.

After investigating the causes of the deadly incident, chief prosecutor Chen Chien-hung (陳建弘) of Tainan District Prosecutors Office said Lin Ming-hui (林明輝), the owner of Weiguan Corporation which built the Weiguan Jinlong housing complex in 1993, and four others responsible for designing and building the housing units, were suspected of professional negligence leading to death and injury.     [FULL  STORY]