TAIPEI - Four Singaporean men who were arrested in December for allegedly raping two women in Taipei were charged with sexual assault on Thursday (March 16), prosecutors said.

Shihlin district prosecutor Chen Hsi-chu told The Straits Times the men are expected to appear in court within the next two days at the earliest, or next week.

The men, all 23-years-old, are Lau Wei Seng, Bryan Ong Kun Jun, Tan Juan Yin and Lim Wei Xuan.

Mr Chen told The Straits Times that Lau was an exchange student in a university in Taipei while the rest were visiting him.

He said the men met two women at a dance club on Dec 11 and contacted them on social messaging app Line to invite them to Lau's apartment for drinks.

The men allegedly raped them after getting them drunk.

All four men were arrested by police at the Ximen subway station in Taipei's Ximending shopping district on Dec 13. They had their luggage with them when they were arrested.

They reportedly claimed that they had consensual sex with the two women.

Three of them - Ong, Tan and Lau - remain in police custody, while Lim was released on bail days after the arrest. Taiwan media reported he is barred from leaving the island.

If convicted of rape, they face up to 10 years in jail each.