AP

Court upholds Taiwan tycoon’s sentence in tainted oil case

Jul 29, 2022, 1:50 PM | Updated: Jul 30, 2022, 1:51 am

TAIPEI, Taiwan (AP) — A court has upheld a nine-year prison term for one of Taiwan’s richest businesspeople on charges of selling tainted cooking oil.

Wei Ying-chung, former chairman of Ting Hsin Oil and Fat Industrial Co., will go to prison for a third time in two cases involving adulterated oil following Friday’s ruling by Taiwan’s Supreme Court.

Wei, 65, was convicted of importing lard in 2014 meant for use in animal feed from Vietnam and selling it to food manufacturers.

Wei “abandoned the social responsibility of the corporation” and “severely undermined food safety,” the Supreme Court ruling said. It left Wei with no more opportunities to appeal.

Wei, along with his three brothers, ranked No. 7 last year on Forbes magazine’s list of Taiwan’s richest people with a total fortune of $6.4 billion.

In an earlier case, Wei was sentenced to prison in 2016 over adulterated olive oil sold by Wei Chuan Foods Corp., a unit of Ting Hsin.

Wei was convicted of telling employees in 2012-13 to mix the oil with products containing a coloring agent that is banned from use in food.

Wei was released in December 2018 after he posted bail of 300 million New Taiwan dollars ($10 million) and his brother pledged an additional 1 billion New Taiwan dollars ($33 million).

Wei went to prison a second time in January 2020 on a separate set of charges connected to the imports from Vietnam and was released 12 months later.

Copyright © The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.

AP

Image: A cargo ship is stuck under the part of the structure of the Francis Scott Key Bridge after ...

Associated Press

Authorities identify 2 bodies recovered at site of Baltimore bridge collapse

A major bridge in Baltimore snapped and collapsed after a container ship rammed into it early Tuesday, and several vehicles fell into the river below.

12 hours ago

Photo: Mountaineer Jim Whittaker has died at 95....

Gene Johnson, The Associated Press

Lou Whittaker, among the most famous American mountaineers, has died at age 95

Lou Whittaker, a legendary American mountaineer who helped lead ascents of Mount Everest, K2 and Denali, has died at age 95.

12 hours ago

File photo: Former Sen. Joe Lieberman speaks in Washington on Jan. 18, 2024....

Associated Press

Former Sen. Joe Lieberman, Democrats’ VP pick in 2000, dead at 82

Former U.S. Sen. Joe Lieberman of Connecticut, who nearly won the vice presidency on the Democratic ticket with Al Gore in 2000, has died.

12 hours ago

islamic state attack...

Vanessa Gera, The Associated Press

What we know after the Islamic State group claims responsibility for Moscow massacre

The Islamic State group has claimed responsibility for an attack on a suburban Moscow concert hall that killed at least 133 people.

4 days ago

Moscow shooting...

The Associated Press

Russia: 60 dead, 145 injured in concert hall raid; Islamic State group claims responsibility

Assailants burst into a concert hall in Moscow on Friday and sprayed the crowd with gunfire, killing over 60 people, injuring more than 100.

6 days ago

Photo: Britain's Kate, Duchess of Cambridge visits 282 (East Ham) Squadron, RAF Air Cadets, Cornwel...

Associated Press

Kate Middleton announces she has cancer, is undergoing chemotherapy

Kate Middleton, Princess of Wales, says she is undergoing chemotherapy to treat cancer. She has been out of view since Christmas.

6 days ago

Court upholds Taiwan tycoon’s sentence in tainted oil case