TAIPEI (Taiwan News) – The Ministry of Foreign Affairs (MOFA) will wrap up an investigation into alleged bullying at Taiwan’s office in Saudi Arabia within a month, Deputy Foreign Minister Tien Chung-kwang (田中光) said Wednesday (Nov. 20).

The case follows the suicide of an employee at a Ministry of Labor agency. At the Legislative Yuan on Wednesday, KMT lawmaker Hsu Chiao-hsin (徐巧芯) accused a senior official at the Taiwan office in Riyadh of bullying staff and forcing employees to pay an advance.

Hsu also alleged the diplomat illegally took away the passport of an employee from the Philippines and had the individual expelled from Saudi Arabia, the Liberty Times reported. She handed a letter to Tien from a whistle-blower alleging the official had publicly humiliated staff, causing unease among personnel at the trade office.

The deputy minister said the government would complete a probe of the incidents within a month, and present a full report to lawmakers. If the investigation concluded there had been wrongdoing sanctions would be taken, otherwise the case would harm the country’s image and the victim of the bullying, Tien said.