Taiwan's "McDonald's Extortion" Case: Former Firefighters' Appeal Denied by Constitutional Court

A high-profile case involving blackmail, legal challenges, and the restaurant giant.

In a significant legal development in Taiwan, the Constitutional Court has declined to accept the appeal of former New Taipei City Fire Department employees Cai Yi-lang and Huang Ying-hui. The couple was convicted of attempting to extort 70.6 million NTD from McDonald's after their son was injured in a play area.

The couple, utilizing their former positions and access to information, claimed the injury was due to negligence by the restaurant chain. They demanded a substantial sum, leveraging their ability to access and potentially misuse safety inspection records for McDonald's branches nationwide.

Initially, Cai Yi-lang and Huang Ying-hui were sentenced to 1 year and 2 months in the first trial. However, the second trial, after the presentation of messages where Cai mentioned “逼死他們 (Bīsǐ tāmen - Force them to death)”, saw the sentences increased to 6 years and 6 months, and 5 years and 2 months respectively, due to the court's determination that they exploited their influence for personal gain. The Supreme Court then upheld the convictions, leading to the appeal for a constitutional review.

The couple argued that the interpretation of Article 4, Paragraph 1, Subparagraph 2 of the Regulations on Corruption Crime, which addresses extortion, was unclear, and that the law only applies when public officials are “performing their duties.” The Constitutional Court's second review chamber dismissed their arguments, viewing them as "subjective opinions" without identifying specific constitutional violations. The court ruled that the appeal did not meet the requirements of the Constitution Litigation Act, thus deciding against a hearing.