Kao Hung-an Accused of Appropriating Wages From Assistants 遭質疑詐領助理費 高虹安秀對話紀錄澄清

TPP Hsinchu mayoral candidate Kao Hung-an was accused of wage fraud by hiring her boyfriend, as her legislative office assistant. Kao showed a record of her work conversation messages with her assistant as proof and sent all the documents to the Investigation Bureau.

Local elections are about to take place on Nov. 26. KMT Hsinchu mayoral candidate Lin Ken-jeng recently accused Legislator Kao Hung-an, who is Taiwan People's Party (TPP) mayoral candidate for Hsinchu, of appropriating wages from her assistants. The Ministry of Justice Investigation Bureau Northern Mobile Team is currently in charge of this case. Kao presented a record of her work conversation messages with her assistant surnamed Li and showed a video of her ex-colleague endorsing her, proving that Li is truly working for her as an assistant.

Kao Hung-an, Hsinchu mayoral candidate (TPP): “Managing social media, answering work phone calls, and organizing my weekly work schedule. Honestly, I mean really, to question and suspect me on overtime wages, on the 46 hours of overtime in a month. I would like to ask everyone to think about it, this amount of workload. Honestly, after reviewing my work records I feel like working 46 hours overtime is too little.”

Chung Wei-han, Appointed lawyer for Li Chung-ting: “Labor and health insurance don’t always have to come from your employer.”

Kao sighed and said it was bothersome how she needs to take time out of her busy work schedule to gather information to prove her innocence. Lin's accusations also include Kao demanding her assistants deposit NT$10,000 to NT$70,000 from their overtime wages between March and December of 2020 into the official bank account for her own use.

Lin Ken-jeng, Hsinchu mayoral candidate (KMT): “The assistants need to hand in their overtime wages. The total amount they turned in is almost equal to the amount of budget allowed for legislative assistants' overtime wages. Paying non-legislative assistants with legislative assistants’ overtime wages is something totally unheard of. Obviously, Legislator Kao is treating the money as her personal bank.”

Shen Hui-hung, Hsinchu mayoral candidate (DPP): “I think Kao Hung-an should be honest about all the controversies and questions.”

DPP Hsinchu mayoral candidate Shen Hui-hung also asks Kao to be truthful about the controversies. The Investigation Bureau has not called in anyone yet for interrogation as of Nov. 6 and emphasized they will maintain impartiality.  

新竹選戰倒數關頭，林耕仁指控高虹安疑涉詐領助理費，調查局北機站已對此案展開調查。高虹安7日親上火線，秀出交代工作對話紀錄，以及曾共事過的同仁背書影片，以證明李忠庭確實從事國會助理工作。

民眾黨新竹市長候選人高虹安指出：「全天候的社群管理，或者是公務手機的接聽，以及六日的隨行活動、行程。其實真的，我說真的，他去質疑這個加班費的事情，說一個月46小時，我想請大家算一下，這樣子的工作量，老實說，我自己在看完這些工作紀錄之後，我覺得46個小時都還嫌少。」

高虹安前助理李忠庭委任律師鍾維翰說明：「從來，勞健保掛在哪一個事業單位下面，就跟他有沒有從事該事業單位的實質工作，是沒有相關的。」

高虹安感慨這段時間，邊跑行程之餘還要邊蒐集證據，證明自己的清白。而對手林耕仁隨即加碼踢爆，多名高虹安公費助理，在2020年3月到該年底，須上繳1萬到7萬多不等的加班費，到辦公室帳戶，質疑高虹安把助理加班費當小金庫使用。

國民黨新竹市長候選人林耕仁表示：「擔任助理還要上繳金額，金額接近高辦同時期可申報的加班費總數，更沒有聽過用助理上繳的錢，用來支付給非立法院助理的薪水。由此可見，高委員已經把這些錢當成自己的小金庫。」

民進黨新竹市長候選人沈慧虹則喊話：「高虹安面對這麼多的爭議跟質疑，誠實回答才是上策。」

沈慧虹再次強調，請高虹安誠實面對爭議。調查局北機站截至6日，尚未約詢檢舉人或關係人，並強調會秉承行政中立，依法辦理此案。