Taipei: The Shilin District Court has issued a two-year suspended sentence to a public-sector recycling worker in Taipei for corruption after he took home a discarded rice cooker valued at NT$32.56 (US$1.03) and gave it to another individual.

According to Focus Taiwan, the worker, identified as Huang, is part of the Taipei Department of Environmental Protection’s sanitation team in Beitou District. He received a three-month jail term, suspended for two years, and a one-year deprivation of civil rights. The court’s decision is still subject to appeal.

The incident dates back to July 2024, when Huang took a Tatung-branded rice cooker while collecting recyclable items on his sanitation route. He later gave the cooker to an elderly woman in Xinzhuang District, New Taipei. A public complaint brought Huang’s actions to light, prompting him to voluntarily report to the Ministry of Justice’s Agency Against Corruption.

The Shilin District Prosecutors Office charged Huang with corruption in June, citing the embezzlement of private property by a civil servant during duty. Prosecutors noted that Huang confessed to the offense and returned the rice cooker, asking the court to consider these actions in sentencing.

The case attracted significant media attention following the indictment’s disclosure by Shilin prosecutors. Huang’s supervisor, Chao Hsin-tsen, stated that Huang admitted to taking the rice cooker but emphasized his intent was to assist the elderly woman, not for personal gain.

The Taipei Department of Environmental Protection described Huang as a dedicated employee who values personal relationships and aimed to aid someone in need. During an internal investigation, it emerged that Huang was so embarrassed by the situation that he bought a new rice cooker for the woman with his own money. The department confirmed that Huang would retain his job but receive a demerit for his actions.