Taipei, April 8 (CNA) Hsieh Yi-jung (謝宜容), a former Ministry of Labor (MOL) official fired for workplace bullying and indicted for corruption last week, was ordered released from prison Tuesday on NT$1 million (US$30,273) bail.
Hsieh is restricted from leaving the country and is required to reside at her current residence or a designated location while wearing an electronic ankle monitor, the New Taipei District Court said in a ruling issued Tuesday.
Hsieh, who has been detained and held incommunicado since December, was indicted by New Taipei prosecutors last Wednesday for embezzlement and profiteering under the Anti-Corruption Act and unauthorized disclosures as a public official.
Prosecutors had sought to extend Hsieh’s detention, warning that she could try to flee the country, but the court denied the request, noting that the investigation was completed and Hsieh had admitted to her crimes.
Hsieh wept throughout the court proceedings.
According to her indictment, Hsieh leaked official information, steered government contracts to favored companies and used government funds to purchase holiday gift boxes for personal use while serving as head of the New Taipei office of the MOL’s Workforce Development Agency in 2023-24.
The investigation of Hsieh for corruption followed the suicide of a 39-year-old civil servant from the Workforce Development Agency, allegedly due to workplace bullying by Hsieh, which resulted in her dismissal on Nov. 20 of last year.
The civil servant’s death, as well as widespread criticism of the MOL’s handling of the matter, sparked public anger that resulted in the resignation of then-Minister of Labor Ho Pei-shan (何佩珊) on Nov. 21.
Prosecutors investigated Hsieh for negligent homicide but ultimately declined to press charges, concluding that there was “no legal causation” between the civil servant’s suicide and Hsieh’s management style.
