Prosecutors question two in CPC gas station probe

Taipei prosecutors yesterday said they were investigating a father-daughter team on suspicion of adding methyl alcohol to gasoline at the gas station they operated.

The Heng Chia Gas Station on Wanfang Rd in Taipei City, formerly a CPC Corp, Taiwan station, was caught selling gasoline mixed with methyl alcohol to cut costs.

Taipei prosecutors on Friday led agents from the Ministry of Justice's Investigation Bureau on a raid of the gas station and the office of Wei Li Company, which is linked to the gas station.

Prosecutors interviewed Wang Chen-hai (王鎮海), who ran the gas station, and his daughter Wang Chun-ying (王淳瑛), who ran Wei Li Company.

Prosecutors said the pair denied putting methyl alcohol into the station's gasoline tanks and accused CPC of providing them with substandard gasoline.

Prosecutors released the pair without bail, but said they would summon them again for questioning after more evidence has been collected.

Investigators on Friday seized a number of documents from the gas station and the company to check the accounting books and records concerning the purchase and sale of gasoline.

Taipei prosecutor Kuo Yung-fa (郭永發) yesterday said prosecutors had uncovered evidence that Wei Li mainly sells methyl alcohol, adding that Wang Chun-ying and her company were suspected of providing methyl alcohol to mix into the gasoline at the station.

State-run CPC, the nation's largest petroleum refinery company, canceled its contract with Heng Chia on Oct. 23, but the station was allowed to keep its CPC signs.

Last week, following customer complaints that the gasoline was substandard, CPC took gasoline samples at the gas station and sent them for laboratory tests. The results showed that the gasoline contained 10 percent methyl alcohol.

The Bureau of Energy said on Friday that gasoline samples from another two gas stations, Feng Hsin Gas Station in Kaohsiung County and Hsih Linkou Gas Station in Taipei County, both failed to pass quality tests.

The CPC has come under fire from the public over its slow reaction to these incidents.

In response, Minister of Economic Affairs Steve Chen (陳瑞隆) yesterday offered an apology to the public and said the ministry would demand CPC draw up measures to prevent a repeat of such incidents.

Additional reporting by staff writer