Taiwan court reverses bail for factory director in cancer-causing oil case

A Taiwanese court has overturned a previous decision to grant bail to a factory director implicated in a case involving cancer-causing substances in cooking oil. The reversal came after prosecutors appealed the initial ruling, arguing that the director, Chen Ming-jung, had a "consensus to conceal the case" with other individuals before the investigation began.

Chen, who served as the refinery plant director and the highest manager of the company's food production line, is accused of violating food safety laws. Prosecutors contend that his prior agreement to hide information poses a high risk of collusion with co-defendants and destruction of evidence. This led to a second request for his detention and prohibition from communicating with others.

The initial bail decision by the Taichung District Court had been based on the argument that prosecutors had not sufficiently proven Chen's role as a "food business operator" under the law. The court also noted that Chen had cooperated with investigations after being initially granted bail for NT$1 million, and that additional bail of NT$1 million, along with travel and movement restrictions, would be sufficient.

However, the Taiwan High Court's appellate division found merit in the prosecution's appeal. It acknowledged that further examination was needed regarding Chen's legal status as a responsible party under food safety regulations. Crucially, the court highlighted evidence suggesting a pre-incident agreement to conceal the case, indicating a strong possibility of collusion and evidence tampering among numerous involved parties and stakeholders.