TAIPEI (TVBS News) — The Ministry of Justice (MOJ, 法務部) announced Tuesday (Jan. 21) that it has assisted the families of six victims in the Polam Kopitiam (寶林茶室) food poisoning case to apply for crime victim compensation. Each family will receive NT$1.8 million. The incident, which occurred in March 2024, resulted in six deaths and 27 injuries, with the Ministry of Health and Welfare (衛生福利部) identifying the cause as bongkrekic acid toxin.
The Taipei District Prosecutors Office (台北地檢署) concluded its investigation Tuesday (Jan. 21). It indicted five individuals, including the franchise owner Li Fang-hsuan (黎仿軒), the store manager Wang Shun-te (王順德), the cooks Chou Jih-hao (周日豪) and Hu Ching-fu (胡清富), and an intern surnamed Juan (阮). The charges include violations of the Act Governing Food Safety and Sanitation (食品安全衛生管理法), negligent homicide, and negligent injury.
Officials from the MOJ noted that the Association for Victims Support (財團法人犯罪被害人保護協會) has visited the victims' families, providing emergency living assistance and litigation aid. The new Crime Victim Rights Protection Act (犯罪被害人權益保障法), implemented in July 2023, has shifted the compensation system from subrogation to social assistance, expediting the review process.
The compensation system aims to protect social equity and support vulnerable victims, especially when perpetrators are impoverished or untraceable, preventing victims from receiving due compensation.
