Man jailed for sending threatening letters with joss paper to Taiwan official

A man in Taiwan has been sentenced to four months in prison for sending threatening letters that included冥紙 (joss paper), a symbolic offering for the deceased. The letters were sent to Changhua County Speaker Xie Dianlin and three officials at the Taipei Customs Administration.

The accused, identified as Ke, allegedly impersonated another man named Wang when sending the letters. One letter, addressed to Speaker Xie, contained the message, "Speaker Xie, my car was scratched by you, and you are ignoring it. Do you want to come and handle it, or should I find someone to find you?" It also included冥紙, intended to instill fear.

Three other letters were sent to the Taipei Customs Administration, targeting a customs chief surnamed Huang and two other employees. These letters accused the recipients of "taking away my imported tea, do you want to come and talk about it, or should I find someone to block you?" They also contained冥紙 and threats.

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Speaker Xie, my car was scratched by you, and you are ignoring it. Do you want to come and handle it, or should I find someone to find you?

Police identified Wang as the signatory, but he claimed his name was used without his knowledge. Ke was later arrested. Speaker Xie requested legal action without demanding compensation. However, Wang sought NT$500,000 (approximately $15,500 USD) for the misuse of his name, while one of the customs officials sought NT$20,000 (approximately $620 USD) for emotional distress. Ke reached settlements with Wang and the customs officials.

The court found Ke guilty of violating personal data protection laws, using forged documents, and intimidation. The four-month sentence can be commuted to a fine.

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taking away my imported tea, do you want to come and talk about it, or should I find someone to block you?