Court Observation Recruitment | State Compensation Case regarding the "Taiwanese Version of Cambodia" Scam

In recent years, Taiwan was rocked by the nationwide "Taiwanese Version of Cambodia" scam, in which Taiwanese citizens seeking employment abroad fell victim to fraud and even severe threats to their personal safety. During the investigation, when the Kaohsiung District Prosecutors Office cracked down on the scam syndicate, it issued a press release on August 9, 2022, titled: "Citizens Lured to Dubai for High-Paying Jobs and Deprived of Freedom of Movement: Investigation Agencies Crack Down on Dubai Telecom Fraud and Human Trafficking Case; Detention and Incommunicado Ordered for 2 Taiwanese Principal Suspects." However, the video footage cited in the press release was not verified for authenticity by the Kaohsiung District Prosecutors Office, nor was it properly de-identified. This resulted in the victim, surnamed P'an, who was still being detained and controlled by the Cambodian scam syndicate, being subjected to aggravated imprisonment and abuse by his Chinese employer, delaying his return to Taiwan until September 25, 2022, after he paid a ransom.

Later, the Control Yuan pointed out in an investigation report that victim P'an was not only identified as a victim of human trafficking, but was also diagnosed by a physician with severe Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD), leaving him unable to maintain stable employment to this day. Furthermore, the Kaohsiung District Prosecutors Office subsequently failed to provide P'an with relevant counseling assistance and compensation measures, and failed to hold the negligent personnel accountable (regarding whether the principle of non-disclosure of investigations was violated). The Control Yuan deemed these omissions to constitute official negligence.

Consequently, to assist victim P'an with his legal rights and interests, the Judicial Reform Foundation has filed a state compensation lawsuit against the Kaohsiung District Prosecutors Office. We hope that members of the public who care about victim P'an can sign up for court observation. In addition, we also invite law faculty and students in Kaohsiung to join us in monitoring and reflecting upon the issue of state liability concerning the Kaohsiung District Prosecutors Office. Following the court observation, defense counsel will lead a post-trial circle discussion on the case.

Court Observation Schedule

References

Control Yuan Investigation Report No. 112 Nei Tiao 0042

Contact

Legal Specialist Ch'en Kuan-chen
Email: olivia@jrf.org.tw
Phone: 02-25231178#21