The Taiwan High Prosecutors Office is preparing to prosecute 17 people over the island’s high-profile cooking oil scandal – and is asking judges for a 30-year prison term for Wei Ying-chun, a senior executive with the Ting Hsin International Group.
Wei was indicted on fraud charges related to Ting Hsin’s Taiwanese subsidiaries – Wei Chuan Foods, Cheng I and Ting Hsin Oil and Fat Industrial Co. – allegedly fraudulently purchasing substandard lard and beef tallow from Vietnam intended for the manufacture of animal feed to save costs on the production of cooking oil products.
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Wei, in detention since 17 October, maintains he did not know about the fraud, but prosecutors have stated they have uncovered alleged illegal profits of TWD3.8bn (US$125.9m) associated with the cooking oil scandal. They furthermore allege the contaminated oil was sold to “many downstream food manufacturers for at least eight years”.
Uni-President Enterprises, Taiwan’s largest food manufacturer, has recalled 19 lines over fears the products were made using beef tallow bought from Ting Hsin Oil and Fat Industrial Co.
Over 16,000 tonnes of products have reportedly been pulled from store shelves in Taiwan, according to data from the country’s Food and Drug Administration.
Last week, the Taiwanese government reportedly revealed 11 markets had put restrictions on food exports from the country due to the tainted oil scandals hitting the local food industry.
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