TAIPEI (Taiwan News) — For the first time in Taiwan’s history, a national police chief was on Friday (March 27) referred to prosecutors for investigation, after accusations of forgery in connection with appointments to posts.

The Ministry of Interior and the Control Yuan, the country’s top government watchdog, received allegations that National Police Agency (NPA) Director-General Chen Chia-chin (陳家欽) had officially transferred three secretaries to the Criminal Investigation Bureau (CIB) but that they were actually still working at his office, CNA reported.

He had also used a doctored selection process to promote the three secretaries, according to the allegations. In a separate case, he allegedly recruited a confidant once involved in a drunk driving case.

After looking into the matter, the Ministry of Interior referred the case to the Taipei District Prosecutors Office, which entrusted the Ministry of Justice's Agency Against Corruption (AAC) with continuing the investigation.

Later on Friday, the NPA released a statement by Chen defending his innocence, while saying the whole affair was caused by a misunderstanding about police personnel procedures. Chen emphasized that the nation’s police force would continue to safeguard law and order while assisting with the fight against the Wuhan coronavirus (COVID-19).