A Hsinchu Science Park engineer has been sentenced to 10 days in detention, which could be converted to a fine of NT$10,000, for taking a colleague’s chicken cutlets and black tea lunch.
The Hsinchu District Court found a 54-year-old engineer surnamed Chen (陳) guilty of theft for stealing a meal, which was valued at NT$260.
Chen routinely helped himself to the company’s snacks, but at 5:30pm on May 4 last year, he took two chicken cutlets and two cups of tea from a coworker’s desk, the ruling said.
Photo: Tsai Chang-sheng, Taipei Times
The colleague, surnamed Tian (田), said he left his desk for about half an hour and when he returned, his food and drinks were gone.
Tian said he asked his coworkers about it and found out Chen had taken his lunch. He filed a police report the following day.
When questioned, Chen admitted that he took the food and drinks without asking, but said that he assumed it was company food and that he thought Tian had already left for the day.
Coworkers testified that the company does give out snacks, which are placed on a shared table between colleagues, but the food Chen took was placed on Tian’s desk, the ruling said, adding that Chen also usually ate company snacks without permission.
Tian said it was clear Chen intentionally went to his desk to steal the food.
The judge said that given how Chen failed to confirm whether the food belonged to anyone or was communal, he had shown a disregard for other people’s property rights and a lack of legal awareness.
Although Chen confessed, he did not reach a settlement with his colleague so the judge sentenced him to ten days in detention for theft, which could be converted to a NT$10,000 fine.
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