Documents from the US Attorney’s Office have shed light on the allegations against Liu Hsien-hsien (劉姍姍), director-general of the Taipei Economic and Cultural Office (TECO) of Kansas City, who was charged in a US federal court with fraud in foreign labor contracting, partly based on testimonies given by her staffers.
Liu was arrested by the FBI on Thursday on suspicion of fraudulently obtaining a Filipino servant for her residence and was remanded in custody until a detention hearing on Wednesday.
According to a press release titled “Human trafficking rescue project” issued by the US Attorney’s Office, Liu allegedly paid the worker, named F.V. in the case, significantly less than the contractual amount and forced her to work excessive hours and perform tasks outside the terms of the contract.
Liu hired F.V., who was living in the Philippines, in November last year, and gave her an employment contract for a domestic helper at the TECO, which was then used to apply for a B-1 visa for F.V., the Attorney’s Office said.
In accordance with the affidavit in support of the criminal complaint, three TECO employees were questioned by FBI agents, and two of them, presumably Taiwanese, gave statements that corroborated the allegations.
The affidavit cited cooperating witness two (CW-2), employed as a director at TECO for about one year, as saying that Liu instructed CW-2 to pay her domestic servant US$225 when “Liu knew that F.V. was supposed to be paid [US]$1,240 per month.”
“CW-2 stated that Liu also paid her prior maid before F.V. much less than she was contracted to be paid as well. CW-2 said the discrepancy was very similar to how much F.V. was being shorted on salary. CW-2 said the prior maid went into a state of depression and stopped eating. CW-2 said that the prior maid was also physically abused by Liu. CW-2 stated that Liu had cameras installed throughout the residence to monitor F.V.,” the affidavit read.
Another cooperating witness, named CW-3, who told FBI agents that his position was similar to that of an accountant, said in the affidavit that “each time F.V. got paid, she was paid [US]$225 for salary and [US]$70 for Liu’s groceries.”
“CW-3 maintained copies of these receipts and showed them to the Affiant. (The receipts clearly document F.V.’s underpayment). CW-3 stated that these payments were much less than F.V. was supposed to be paid under her contract,” it said.
The affidavit quoted CW-3 as saying that “the previous domestic worker, prior to F.V., was being paid much below her contract as well. F.V. was supposed to be getting paid [US]$1,240 per month, or [US]$620 per payment. CW-3 said that Liu took F.V.’s passport and visa away from F.V. when she first got to Kansas City.”
Under the terms of her employment contract, F.V. was to work no more than eight hours a day, 40 hours per week, and her presence was not required inside the residence except during working hours, but Liu allegedly required the victim to work six days a week, 16 to 18 hours a day, and forbade her to leave the house without permission, the affidavit said.
Beth Phillips, US Attorney for the Western District of Missouri, said in the press release that the charges contained in this complaint were simply accusations, and not evidence of guilt. Evidence supporting the charges must be presented to a federal trial jury, whose duty is to determine guilt or innocence, it said.
The case is being prosecuted by Assistant US Attorney Cynthia Cordes. It was investigated by the FBI and the US Department of Labor Wage and Hour Division in conjunction with the Human Trafficking Rescue Project, the release said.
UNILATERAL MOVES: Officials have raised concerns that Beijing could try to exert economic control over Kinmen in a key development plan next year The Civil Aviation Administration (CAA) yesterday said that China has so far failed to provide any information about a new airport expected to open next year that is less than 10km from a Taiwanese airport, raising flight safety concerns. Xiamen Xiangan International Airport is only about 3km at its closest point from the islands in Kinmen County — the scene of on-off fighting during the Cold War — and construction work can be seen and heard clearly from the Taiwan side. In a written statement sent to Reuters, the CAA said that airports close to each other need detailed advanced
Tropical Storm Fung-Wong would likely strengthen into a typhoon later today as it continues moving westward across the Pacific before heading in Taiwan’s direction next week, the Central Weather Administration (CWA) said. As of 8am, Fung-Wong was about 2,190km east-southeast of Cape Oluanpi (鵝鑾鼻), Taiwan’s southernmost point, moving westward at 25kph and possibly accelerating to 31kph, CWA data showed. The tropical storm is currently over waters east of the Philippines and still far from Taiwan, CWA forecaster Tseng Chao-cheng (曾昭誠) said, adding that it could likely strengthen into a typhoon later in the day. It is forecast to reach the South China Sea
WEATHER Typhoon forming: CWA A tropical depression is expected to form into a typhoon as early as today, the Central Weather Administration (CWA) said yesterday, adding that the storm’s path remains uncertain. Before the weekend, it would move toward the Philippines, the agency said. Some time around Monday next week, it might reach a turning point, either veering north toward waters east of Taiwan or continuing westward across the Philippines, the CWA said. Meanwhile, the eye of Typhoon Kalmaegi was 1,310km south-southeast of Oluanpi (鵝鑾鼻), Taiwan’s southernmost point, as of 2am yesterday, it said. The storm is forecast to move through central
UNKNOWN TRAJECTORY: The storm could move in four possible directions, with the fourth option considered the most threatening to Taiwan, meteorologist Lin De-en said A soon-to-be-formed tropical storm east of the Philippines could begin affecting Taiwan on Wednesday next week, the Central Weather Administration (CWA) said yesterday. The storm, to be named Fung-wong (鳳凰), is forecast to approach Taiwan on Tuesday next week and could begin affecting the weather in Taiwan on Wednesday, CWA forecaster Huang En-hung (黃恩鴻) said, adding that its impact might be amplified by the combined effect with the northeast monsoon. As of 2pm yesterday, the system’s center was 2,800km southeast of Oluanbi (鵝鑾鼻). It was moving northwest at 18kph. Meteorologist Lin De-en (林得恩) on Facebook yesterday wrote that the would-be storm is surrounded by
RSS