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Taipei, Oct. 15 (CNA) One of two private jets owned by Ting Hsin International Group, the food maker at the center of Taiwan's latest food safety scare, took off Wednesday night, the head of the Civil Aeronautics Administration (CAA) confirmed.

CAA Director-General Jean Shen said the flight was given a green light as it has followed all legal procedures. It is believed that Wei Ing-chou -- an older brother of former Ting Hsin Chairman Wei Ying-chung -- was on the plane.

Earlier in the day, prosecutors seized several assets from Wei Ying-chung, who is currently restricted from leaving Taiwan due to his possible culpability in the company's sourcing of substandard oils for its products.

Fears have arisen that the conglomerate owned by the Wei family could move assets to China to avoid having them frozen in Taiwan pending the investigation into irregularities at their edible oil plants.

A top executive from Ting Hsin Oil & Fat Industrial Co. and another two from Cheng I Food Co., a Ting Hsin subsidiary, were detained by prosecutors Tuesday in connection with the scandal.

The two units of Ting Hsin Group are accused of using lard meant for animal feed in their edible oil products.

The incident -- the third oil-related scandal to hit the conglomerate within a year -- has sparked widespread outrage among consumers in Taiwan, leading to a campaign to boycott the group's products and brands.

(By Angela Tsai and Lee Hsin-Yin)
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Related stories:
●Oct. 15: Ting Hsin under strict scrutiny by tax inspectors: finance minister
●Oct. 14: Ting Hsin, Cheng I executives detained in oil scandal
●Oct. 10: Food giant facing unprecedented crisis in oil scandal