Two officers at Taiwan's Investigation Bureau in Hualien have been charged with faking an official work trip to cover up personal use of a government car, in a case that dents the bureau's own credibility.

• An investigator surnamed Li borrowed a government car last April to return equipment, then drove it to eat with someone privately instead of heading back to Hualien.
• While parked, the car was hit by a member of the public, exposing that Li was off his approved route.
• To avoid punishment, Li lied that he had another official assignment in Taoyuan, and a deputy chief surnamed Xu stamped the false report and sent it up the chain.
• Prosecutors in Yilan charged both with forgery of official documents and are asking for 14 months in prison each.
• Both denied wrongdoing and showed no remorse, so prosecutors asked the court for a heavier sentence.

Outlook: The case now goes to court, where the two face a possible year-plus behind bars if convicted.