Alberta (Canada) officials say the complexity of dealing with a Chinese state-owned corporation is the reasoning behind the long delay in prosecuting companies charged in the deaths of two oil sands workers, according to The Canadian Press.
"In this specific case, there are multiple parties involved, one of which is located outside of Canada and maintains that they have not been served with charges," according to Chris Chodan, a spokesman for Alberta Occupational Health and Safety. (WCxKit)
Genboa Ge and Hongliang Lui, both temporary foreign workers, died on April 24, 2007, when the oil tank they were working on near Fort McMurray collapsed. Other workers suffered injuries in the accident.
Sinopec Shanghai Engineering Company Ltd., SSEC Canada Ltd., and Canadian Natural Resources Ltd. face 53 charges in the deaths under Alberta's Occupational Health and Safety Act.
SSEC and Canadian National Resources are slated to go to trial on October 3, 2011 — nearly 4½ years after the workers died — the longest delay in Alberta for such a prosecution. (WCxKit)
There is still no court date set for Sinopec due to the fact the corporation's senior managers in China have not been served with legal papers.
The Alberta government claims the delay has nothing to do with the fact that another division of Sinopec — Sinopec International Petroleum Exploration and Production Co.— is investing in the oil sands, including a $4.65 billion U.S. stake in Syncrude that was approved by Ottawa in June.
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