MOL official at center of suicide controversy banned from leaving Taiwan

Taipei, Nov. 27 (CNA) Hsieh Yi-jung (謝宜容), the former Workforce Development Agency New Taipei Office head whose 39-year-old subordinate died in an apparent suicide earlier this month, has been banned from leaving Taiwan by prosecutors investigating claims of criminal malfeasance.

According to sources with knowledge of the matter, the New Taipei District Prosecutors Office has sent notice of the ban to border control authorities, including the National Immigration Agency and the Coast Guard Administration, of Hsieh's eight-month exit ban.

Hsieh issued a statement via her lawyer saying she was aware of the ban and would comply with the order and any subsequent investigations in full.

Hsieh was stripped of her post following the death of a civil servant surnamed Wu (吳), who was under her supervision.

Wu's body was discovered at the Executive Yuan's Xinzhuang Joint Office Tower in New Taipei on Nov. 4, amid speculation on social media that workplace bullying by Hsieh had driven her subordinate to take his own life.

Hsieh consequentially received two major demerits at a performance review, which prompted her immediate dismissal from office.

She later issued a written public apology, in which she admitted to having "poor emotional control" and "excessive requests" that led to "significant stress" to colleagues.

The case has also led former Labor Minister Ho Pei-shan (何佩珊) to resign from her post.