The US-posted Taiwanese representative Jacqueline Liu (劉姍姍), who is facing US federal charges of labor fraud, is expected to return to Taiwan soon, after agreeing to plead guilty as part of a plea bargain with prosecutors, pending the court’s decision.
Jim Wirken, Liu’s lawyer, told the Associated Press (AP) that Liu planned to plead guilty at a hearing scheduled for 10am yesterday at the US Attorney’s office for the Western District of Missouri.
As of press time, the outcome was unknown.
US prosecutors jailed Liu, director--general of the Taipei Economic and Cultural Office in Kansas City, Missouri, on a felony labor violation involving her Filipina housekeeper. She has been detained since Tuesday.
Liu allegedly forced the housekeeper to work long hours, vastly underpaid her, confiscated her passport, restricted her freedom of movement and verbally abused her, according to the affidavit.
“We’re going to plead guilty to the single charge that’s against her. We’re hoping that we’re going to have a sentencing right away,” Wirken was quoted by the AP as saying.
Wirken said Liu cannot be deported until she is sentenced.
Among the plea agreement were that Liu would be put on probation for a period of six months rather than imprisonment, leave the US voluntarily and provide restitution to the housekeeper, Wirken told the press after striking the plea deal with prosecutors.
Wirken said that he did not contend that Liu enjoyed diplomatic immunity when negotiating with prosecutors, partly because the US Department of State had decided that Liu was not eligible for immunity and partly because it would make no difference to how the court rules on her alleged violations.
He said the negotiation could not be completed without the participation of the State Department.
In Taipei, Minister of Foreign Affairs Timothy Yang (楊進添) said the ministry respected Liu’s wishes in settling the case.
The ministry will continue to negotiate with the US over the immunity issue, which is restricted to the 1980 Agreement on Privileges, Exemptions and Immunities and limited to acts performed within authorized functions, but that would not cover up mistakes, Yang said.
Bruce Linghu (令狐榮達), director-general of the ministry’s Department of North American Affairs, said the case would not have any repercussions on Taiwan-US relations.
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