Almost a million dollars in assets belonging to the developer and three associates of a building in Taiwan felled by an earthquake will be seized, a court ruled Friday, with more than 90 residents confirmed dead in the disaster.
Prosecutors questioning the developer and two others connected with the building have said there were “flaws” in the residential complex, including a lack of steel reinforcement girders. Tin cans and foam were used as fillers in the concrete.
Tainan’s district court Friday gave the city government the go-ahead to freeze up to Tw$30 million ($908,623) in assets belonging to the building’s developer Lin Ming-hui and three associates.
The move was to prevent the developer and associates from “disposing assets”.
Lin and two of the men have been detained on charges of professional negligence resulting in death.
The fourth to have assets seized was a contractor. He has not been detained.
The government has also identified land owned by Lin — totalling at least 30 plots in Tainan — and has directed local authorities to prevent any sale of those assets.(AFP)
Link: http://atimes.com/2016/02/taiwan-to-seize-assets-of-collapsed-building-developer/
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