China United Carcinogenic Oil Trial: Taishan Chairman Liu Weilong pleads not guilty but insists he decided to remove it from shelves for recycling in less than 1 minute

The Zoomlion Oil and Fat carcinogen case was heard for the first time today. Liu Weilong, chairman of Taishan Company, pleaded not guilty and emphasized that he decided to remove the oil from shelves for recycling within one minute after learning that it exceeded the standard.

The excessive levels of carcinogenic oil benzene and pyrene from Zoomlion Oil attracted national attention. In August this year, the Taichung District Prosecutor's Office prosecuted four companies including Zoomlion, Fushou, Fumao Oil, and Taishan, as well as Zoomlion Oil and Fat Chairman Cai Qingsong, Taishan Company Chairman Liu Weilong, and the former and current general manager. 15 natural persons including Shen Yijun and Cai Guoliang were prosecuted, a total of 19 defendants, and they requested severe sentences. The Taichung District Court held its first hearing today. Liu Weilong, Shen Yijun, and Cai Guoliang all pleaded not guilty. Liu Weilong emphasized that after learning that the limit was exceeded, he decided to withdraw it from the shelves in less than 1 minute, and there was no intention to defraud.

When Liu Weilong, the chairman of Taishan Company, appeared in court today, he pleaded not guilty to three counts of failure to proactively stop selling, recycling, and reporting when the circumstances were serious, selling food containing substances harmful to human health, and fraud.

Liu Weilong said that he did not hear benzopyrene for the first time until 3 pm on June 29. After learning that it exceeded the standard, he decided to remove it from the shelves for recycling in less than a minute. Company personnel went to the Changhua County Health Bureau early in the morning on June 30 to complete the notification.

Liu Weilong said that not only did he require the problematic batch numbers to be removed from the shelves for recycling, but he also expanded the requirement that from April to June, all products produced by Taishan can be returned. In addition to announcing the recycling method, they can also proactively go to the client to recycle and refund. There is absolutely no intention to defraud and obtain money.

Shen Yijun, the detained former general manager of Taishan Company, also denied the charges, emphasizing that he sealed the problematic oil the next day after learning about it on June 16. He emphasized that he had no criminal intent and absolutely did not fail to report or recycle the oil despite knowing that there was a problem. Now general manager Cai Guoliang has not pleaded guilty, emphasizing that the official effective date of his taking over as general manager is July 1. He cannot accept a single sentence saying that the actual handover was completed on June 25.