NANTOU (TVBS News) — Former commissioner of the National Communications Commission (NCC) Chiao Chien-chung, along with four others, has been charged by the Nantou District Court for violating the Forest Act after accidentally setting fire to the woods at Mt. Yushan during a camping trip.
On May 15, 2021, the group allegedly started a fire while camping at the Dujuan Campground in the vicinity of Mt. Yushan. The fire spread and raged for 12 days, inflicting significant damage upon a portion of Taiwan's cherished wilderness. In the end, 79.7 hectares of Yushan woodland had been destroyed.
As the fire was started with wood collected from the forest, the court's verdict culminated in Chiao and the co-defendants each receiving a six-month prison sentence and a fine of NT＄600,000 for the illicit procurement of it.
Furthermore, the Forestry Bureau is pursuing compensation that amounts to NT＄288,336,007 from the group. The civil lawsuit is still in litigation.