Sinopec exec axed over 1.59m-yuan booze scandal

 中石化严处违规购买高档酒事件责任人

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.

中国石化集团公司对广东石油分公司违规购买高档酒事件的调查在本周一公布结果，其广东分公司原总经理被免职。

这家总部位于北京的石化集团周一宣布，决定免去其下属广东石油分公司原总经理鲁广余的职务，降职使用。中石化的调查发现鲁广余花费159万元（约合24.3万美元）公款购进480瓶茅台酒和696瓶高级进口红酒。

同时中国石化集团责令鲁广余退回其已消费的红酒费用共13.11万元（约合2万美元），并给予其经济处罚，具体数额并未公布。

“这个事件严重损害了中国石化集团的形象，损害了公司业务。”中国石化集团公司董事长傅成玉在周一的记者会上表示。“鲁广余应对这些损失负直接责任。”他说。

4月11日，天涯论坛上出现名为《中石化广东石油总经理鲁广余挥霍巨额公款触目惊心》的帖子，并公开了四张购酒的发票。根据发票显示，这批天价酒包括30瓶总价值10255元（约合1574美元）的50年茅台及17瓶总价值11846元（约合1815美元）的1996年的拉菲（Chateau Lafite Rothschild）。

这桩丑闻是在发改委今年第二次提高汽油价格之后五天被曝光的，使早就对高油价不满的公众更加愤怒。

“中石化每年收入1千亿元，是全亚洲最赚钱的公司，可它还申请国家补助。这还有公平可言么？”公布天价酒发票的匿名网友说道。

从2005年3月以来，中国油价从每升3.92元涨到7.85元，翻了一番。

中国石化集团此前披露其2010财年净利润为718亿元（约合109亿美元），比2009年增加631亿元，受益于国际油价的上涨。