The former chairman of Ting Hsin Oil and Fat Industrial Co., Wei Ying-chung, has been indicted on several accounts of fraud, forgery, and violations of food safety regulations. Prosecutors are asking for a 30-year prison term, according to the indictment issued on Thursday.
Prosecutors say that Ting Hsin Oil and Fat began to purchase substandard fats and oils intended for animal feed from Vietnam in 2011. The head of the Vietnamese supplier has also been indicted along with several Ting Hsin executives.
The company has been using the substandard materials to produce thousands of tons of oil used in food products since January, 2012, and has been selling them to downstream food makers all around Taiwan.
Prosecutors have determined that Ting Hsin Oil and Fat made more than NT$440 million in illicit gains as a result, and is asking the judges to confiscate the money.