Taipei Mayor Chiang Wan-an faces criticism over Baolin tea house case

Taipei Mayor Chiang Wan-an has drawn criticism from relatives of victims following comments made during a debate regarding the 2024 Baolin tea house food poisoning incident. Chiang stated that city officials collected crucial biological evidence that ensured the responsible parties "could not run away," and noted that the city increased inspection staff and established a foodborne disease testing unit in response to the tragedy.

However, relatives of the six deceased victims have challenged these claims, alleging that the business owners transferred assets and closed the establishment immediately after the incident to avoid paying fines. They further noted that the 3.5 million TWD fine issued by the city remains uncollected because the company has no realizable property and its liability insurance had expired.

Additionally, a fact-check report citing the Control Yuan indicates that the Taipei City Government failed to act promptly. While officials did collect some samples, the Control Yuan issued a correction to the city government, stating that inspectors arrived late on the day of the initial reports and failed to seize suspicious ingredients or meals. This delay resulted in missed opportunities to identify the specific pathogen responsible for the poisoning of 35 people.