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One of the top stories from this past week was that the Taipei District Court sentenced Wei Ying-chung, former chairman of Ting Hsin Oil and Fat Industrial Co. and Wei Chuan Foods Corp., to four years in prison Friday for fraud over a tainted oil scandal.
The court said that Wei used substandard ingredients to make profits with the sole intent of lowering costs. The court also ruled that Wei Chuan Foods should pay a fine of NT$15.5 million (US$476,625).
Throughout the trial, Wei insisted on his innocence, saying that the company has not produced substandard products and that the consciences of executives are clear. Wei said through his lawyer that he will appeal the ruling.
The high-profile oil scandal led to a boycott of Wei Chuan products, with the public urging government action to reinforce punishments for food safety violators.
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Also this past week, the foreign ministry is demanding that Indonesia provide a written statement on a shooting incident involving an Indonesian patrol vessel and Taiwanese fishing boats. That’s the word from Foreign Minister David Lin on Friday.
The Indonesian patrol vessel opened fire on two Taiwanese fishing boats as they sailed through the Strait of Malacca on Monday. The shooting left more than 10 bullet holes in one of the boats, though no one on board was injured.
Indonesian officials have accused the boats of illegal fishing, and say that the crew of the patrol vessel acted in accordance with standard procedures. Foreign Minister David Lin says Taiwan demands a written statement from Indonesia offering clear proof for its accusations. Lin says the foreign ministry does not accept Indonesia’s use of force and will work with Taiwan’s Fisheries Agency to resolve the dispute.
Huang Hung-yan, the deputy director of the Fisheries Agency, has also rejected Indonesia’s accusations. He says that records show the fishing boats were sailing at five nautical miles per hour, a speed that is impossible for fishing.
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And finally, this past week, Labor Minister Chen Hsiung-wen says his ministry is on alert for any attempts by IS to recruit members of the foreign laborer community in Taiwan. He was speaking at the Legislature on Thursday.
The Indonesian authority for overseas workers has reported that some radicalized Indonesian laborers have begun to infiltrate democratic countries in East Asia. The agency reports that Taiwan has become a possible target for ISIS recruitment.
Officials in Taiwan say that there is no intelligence that indicates foreign nationals are planning or engaging in terrorist activities in Taiwan