TAIPEI (Taiwan News) — Prosecutors charged former labor official Hsieh Yi-jung (謝宜容) with corruption on Wednesday.
The New Taipei District Prosecutors Office charged Hsieh after an investigation probing her alleged use of public funds to purchase gifts and irregular spending, per CNA. The charge comes after KMT Taipei Councilor Chung Hsiao-ping (鍾小平) reported her to prosecutors last year, alleging she was responsible for manslaughter and corruption.
Hsieh was dismissed in November from her role as head of a Workforce Development Agency Branch. A 39-year-old man who worked under Hsieh died by suicide, and other staff accused her of bullying.
A labor ministry investigation found Hsieh’s bullying did not directly cause the death, and instead attributed it to overwork and stress. The employee was the only full-time staff member working on an online employment system that managed up to 800,000 cases.
After the man’s death, it was revealed that Hsieh required staff members to maintain the decor in her office. Allegations that she spent public funds on personal items also surfaced. She was detained in December as prosecutors investigated the allegations.
Former Labor Minister Ho Pei-shan (何佩珊) resigned in the wake of the incident. Her replacement, Hung Sun-han (洪申翰) pledged culture changes.
“In particular, the culture of preparing gifts to please superiors and upper management will no longer exist after I take office,” Hung said in November.
