A man who took NT$1.04 million (US$34,712) from 58 undocumented workers awaiting deportation on the pretense of securing their release from immigration detention has had a five-and-a-half-year prison sentence upheld by the Taiwan High Court.
According to prosecutors, the man, surnamed Hsu (?), charged migrant workers temporarily detained by the National Immigration Agency NT$20,000 each to file false theft charges against them, on the understanding that they would be released and their deportation orders suspended while the judicial proceedings were ongoing.
The scheme was uncovered after prosecutors investigating the alleged thefts flagged them as suspicious, and Hsu was originally found guilty of filing false police reports and perjury by a district court 2 years ago, a verdict that he appealed.
After upholding the lower court’s decision, the High Court said Hsu had readily admitted to the charges, although he claimed he did not realize the seriousness of his actions and was only trying to help migrant workers out of compassion.
Source: Focus Taiwan News Channel