A man who informed authorities that Far East Oil Mills Co (遠東油脂) was using expired ingredients in food products yesterday said he is out of a job, fearing for his life and still waiting to receive the reward money for the information he provided more than a year ago.
The man, who asked to be identified only as “Mr A,” told a news conference hosted by Chinese Nationalist Party (KMT) Legislator Apollo Chen (陳學聖) that food industry whistle-blowers like himself feel let down by the government, because promised rewards often take longer to be paid than they are led to believe.
Whistle-blowers usually quit their job to avoid professional repercussions, making them uneligible for unemployment benefits and dependent on the reward for financial survival, he said, adding that the process is slow, opaque and unsafe for informants.
Photo: Huang Hsin-po, Taipei Times
Far East Oil Mills chairman Hsieh Jung-tai (謝榮泰) and four other company executives were indicted in November 2017 after Mr A told authorities that the firm was allegedly using expired ingredients to make margarine and other products.
“When I asked government officials about the reward, they treated me like I was a beggar,” said Mr A, who wore a mask, glasses and a cap at the news conference. “I was not asking for charity; I was asking for the reward the government owes me.”
“People who are thinking about informing on companies as I did should think their plan through carefully. It is not as simple as it seems,” he said.
Food safety regulations stipulate that rewards for informants are funded from fines the courts impose on a company or a special fund established by a municipal or county government, Chen said.
That Far East Oil Mills is still fighting the charges at an administrative court instead of having paid a heavy fine reflects poorly on the government, Chen said, adding that Mr A had moved home twice out of fear for his safety.
The Taoyuan City Government is well-funded, so it has no excuse for its shabby treatment of whistle-blowers like Mr A, Chen said, adding: “I do not know how to explain this behavior, other than to say it is passing the buck.”
Food and Drug Administration official Chang Hsin-wen (張馨文) said that food safety informants are entitled to anywhere between 20 percent to 50 percent of fines imposed on a company, unless local government ordinances state otherwise.
Under Taoyuan ordinances, Mr A is entitled to as much as 60 percent of any fines imposed on Far East Oil Mills, but only if the courts resolve litigation in the government’s favor, Chang said.
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