Sinopec exec axed over 1.59m-yuan booze scandal

 中石化嚴處違規購買高檔酒事件責任人

An investigation by Sinopec, China's main oil-refinery company, into extravagant liquor spending at its Guangdong subsidiary came to a close on Monday with the demotion of its Guangdong general manager.

The Beijing-based petrochemical firm announced Monday it had demoted former Guangdong general manager Lu Guangyu after an investigation revealed he had spent 1.59 million yuan (US$243,000) of the company's money on expensive booze, including 480 bottles of Maotai, a strong Chinese spirit made from sorghum, and 696 bottles of premier, imported wine.

The company has also ordered Lu to pay back 131,100 yuan (US$20,100) for liquor that had already been resold or consumed and fined him an undisclosed sum.

"The scandal has greatly destroyed Sinopec's image and resulted in harm to the company's business," Sinopec chairman Fu Chengyu said at a press conference on Monday. "Lu should be held directly responsible for the loss."

The scandal broke on April 11 when an anonymous netizen posted photocopies of alleged invoices for the liquor on Tianya, a popular Chinese forum website. According to the invoices, purchases included 30 bottles of 50-year-old Maotai and 17 bottles of 1996 Chateau Lafite Rothschild at 10,255 yuan (US$1,574) and 11,846 yuan (US$1,815) per bottle, respectively.

News of the lavish spending surfaced just five days after the National Reform and Development Commission raised gasoline prices for the second time this year, triggering outrage among many Chinese already upset about high prices at the pump.

"Sinopec makes 100 billion yuan a year," said the anonymous netizen who posted the invoices. "They are the most profitable company in Asia, and they still want subsidies. Is there no justice?"

Chinese gasoline prices have doubled since March 2005, rising from 3.92 yuan per liter to 7.85 yuan.

Sinopec reported net profits of 71.8 billion yuan (US$10.9 billion) for the 12 month period ending Dec. 31, 2010, up from 63.1 billion yuan in 2009，as global oil prices surged.

中國石化集團公司對廣東石油分公司違規購買高檔酒事件的調查在本周一公布結果，其廣東分公司原總經理被免職。

這家總部位于北京的石化集團周一宣布，決定免去其下屬廣東石油分公司原總經理魯廣余的職務，降職使用。中石化的調查發現魯廣余花費159萬元（約合24.3萬美元）公款購進480瓶茅臺酒和696瓶高級進口紅酒。

同時中國石化集團責令魯廣余退回其已消費的紅酒費用共13.11萬元（約合2萬美元），并給予其經濟處罰，具體數額并未公布。

“這個事件嚴重損害了中國石化集團的形象，損害了公司業務。”中國石化集團公司董事長傅成玉在周一的記者會上表示。“魯廣余應對這些損失負直接責任。”他說。

4月11日，天涯論壇上出現名為《中石化廣東石油總經理魯廣余揮霍巨額公款觸目驚心》的帖子，并公開了四張購酒的發票。根據發票顯示，這批天價酒包括30瓶總價值10255元（約合1574美元）的50年茅臺及17瓶總價值11846元（約合1815美元）的1996年的拉菲（Chateau Lafite Rothschild）。

這樁丑聞是在發改委今年第二次提高汽油價格之后五天被曝光的，使早就對高油價不滿的公眾更加憤怒。

“中石化每年收入1千億元，是全亞洲最賺錢的公司，可它還申請國家補助。這還有公平可言么？”公布天價酒發票的匿名網友說道。

從2005年3月以來，中國油價從每升3.92元漲到7.85元，翻了一番。

中國石化集團此前披露其2010財年凈利潤為718億元（約合109億美元），比2009年增加631億元，受益于國際油價的上漲。