Liu, who has been held in federal custody since her arrest, has been charged with mistreating the woman by forcing her to work 16 to 18 hours a day, restricting when she could leave the house, and paying her between $400 and $450 each month. The Taiwan Office of Foreign Affairs is now demanding that the United States release Liu because she should have diplomatic immunity.
The Associated Press reports that Liu hired the woman from the Philippines and promised to pay her $1,240 a month for 40-hour workweeks. Liu is charged with fraud in foreign labor contracting, a felony that the AP reports is punishable with up to five years in federal prison. KSHB Channel 41 reports that the housekeeper escaped only after she found a fellow Filipino at the grocery store and informed them about her working conditions.
According to Taiwan Today (a branch of the Government Information Office) article, Taiwan Foreign Minister Timothy Chin-tien Yang said Liu should not have been taken into custody. From the piece: "Yang contended that Liu still enjoyed immunity privileges under the pact and that U.S. law enforcement authorities should have resorted to diplomatic channels first, even if they have a reasonable case against her."
Not surprisingly, the U.S. State Department disagrees. A department spokesman has said, 'She has immunity only for acts performed within the scope of her authorized functions."
An Office of Foreign Affairs official is now claiming that hiring an employee is within that scope. Somehow, the State Department resisted replying, "Nuh-uh!"
Liu has a hearing scheduled for Wednesday.
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Diplomatic channels should not be used to excuse or cover unethical(illegal) behavior.
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