Press release from Kaohsiung Branch, Administrative Enforcement Agency (AEA), Ministry of Justice

Release date: February 23, 2021

Contact person: Chief Enforcement Officer Shu Wen Wang
Contact numbers: 07-7152158 ext. 701

AEA Kaohsiung launches third “Operation COVID-19 Sanctions” on February 23

    To prevent citizens from causing loopholes in epidemic control out of negligence, raise the public’s awareness of epidemic control, and let justice be served, the Kaohsiung Branch and all other branches across Taiwan of the Administrative Enforcement Agency (AEA), Ministry of Justice (MOJ), launched today (Feb 23) the “Operation COVID-19” at the same time under AEA’s command.

    AEA Kaohsiung implemented today the third operation on COVID-19 cases referred in this year. During the operation, the task force sent staff to the residence of 14 obligors in different districts. The Thai obligor flew to Taiwan on November 19, 2020. On November 28, he left his room in the quarantine hotel without permission to get some hot water from the water fountain in the hallway. The Kaohsiung Department of Health (KHDOH) thus fined him a sum of NT$100,000 and requested him to pay the fine by the deadline. As the obligor failed to pay the fine by the deadline, KHDOH thus referred the case to AEA Kaohsiung. After the property investigation, AEA Kaohsiung found that the obligor worked at a semiconductor company in Kaohsiung and immediately issued an attachment of earnings order (earnings withholding order) for the task-force to perform on-site enforcement at the obligor’s workplace. After the personnel staff of that company confirmed that the obligor was one of their employees, the task force immediately passed the order to the personnel staff to sign for acceptance.

    The residence of another obligor Wei is a fashion boutique, and the obligor’s mother was on the scene. She told the task force that the obligor returned from Cambodia on November 22, 2020 and left the quarantine hotel for a pack of instant noodle when he was hungry, consequently being fined for NT$120,000. She claimed that the instant noodle was really expensive. Worriedly, she told the task force that the obligor was doing odd jobs, mostly building scaffoldings, without a stable income. In addition, as the boutique’s business plummeted after the outbreak, she had no money to pay the fine for him. In consideration of his financial status and difficulties in life, the task force asked his mother to relax and tell the obligor to apply for payment by installment to AEA Kaohsiung if he could not pay the balance in one time. On hearing this, the worrying mother was relieved and agreed to ask the obligor to apply for payment by installment as quickly as possible.

    In this operation, four obligors returned from Turkey on November 10, 2020 and stayed in the same quarantine hotel. During the quarantine, they did not wear the facemask and left their rooms without permission in the quarantine hotel to chitchat, smoke, and exchange food with one another. Each of them was fined NT$120,000 by KHDOH, and obligors Kuo and Chang applied to AEA Kaohsiung for payment by installment at NT$10,000 each installment.

    AEA Kaohsiung urges the public to cooperate with the government’s epidemic control measures during the pandemic, do not overlook the importance of epidemic controls, and enhance self-protection to protect themselves and others. AEA Kaohsiung will accelerate the enforcement of those who are punished and refuse to pay the administrative fine by the deadline. Obligors with financial difficulties may apply for payment by installment to AEA Kaohsiung and should not ignore the law. Let us work together in epidemic control to safeguard our homeland.